


Darkness Within

by becsgrey



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Dark Rey (Star Wars), Dark Reylo, Dark Side Rey, F/M, The Dark Side of the Force
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:48:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 85,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25888345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/becsgrey/pseuds/becsgrey
Summary: Set after Kylo reveals to Rey the reality of her identity and addresses what could have happened if Rey would have actually taken Kylo's hand.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 7
Kudos: 94





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Construction note: I am slowly working on going through and polishing my writing. The story line will not be changing at all*

"You are a Palpatine." His dark voice breaks through his mask, settling the feeling of a heavy weight in her chest making it hard for her to take a breath in. Rey looks up at his mask, her legs shaking beneath her, and her mouth moving as she grasps for words. She wants so bad to deny it, run away from it, but those words hold something else, a sense of belonging, a purpose, a darkness that she has felt boiling deep inside of her for some time now.

He continues his rehearsed monologue, pressing her back towards the entrance to the hanger, Behind her, the dark sky that leads down to Kimiji is framed by the illuminated entrance of the hanger that casts a blue glow across her skin and clothes. Rey barely hears his words, just a small, continuous murmur as her own thoughts scream in her head, overwhelming every part of her and completely immobilizing her. Then it hits, a sudden stillness, the chaos in her head stops, and everything feels balanced again as the words "we're a dyad in the force, Rey, two that are one" slip out of his mouth. She stares up at his mask, the dark holes bearing down on her and she blinks slowly as she processes his statement.

Those words solidify the feeling that's been trying to creep in constantly through visions and nightmares. She knows that they're destined to be together and to rule together, plus the connection she feels to him is undeniable. He is her other half, and the strength she feels when he is near is like nothing else she has ever experienced before.

"We'll kill him," Kylo says with conviction. "Together, take the throne." Rey feels her shoulders relax at the sounds of his words despite fighting the overwhelming urge to escape just like the many times before.

He moves almost in slow motion, as he reaches up to his helmet, a small whistling noise ringing out as it releases before he pulls it off. Bringing it down in front of his face, he shakes his hair out, tossing it just slightly and looking her in the eyes for the first time since Pasaana. Despite the great distance between them on the barren desert, she can see the memory of him clearly that day, his hair and cape moving in the sand-filled wind. Rey's breath leaves her at the sight of him again and she immediately knows what her decision is. 'This isn't chance, this is our undeniable destiny,' she thinks.

"You know what you need to do." His brow is furrowed but his eyes are soft and pleading. "You know," he emphasizes with a raspy whisper.

"I do know," Rey whispers in return, tears still trying to escape the corners of her eyes as she looks at his outstretched gloved hand like the other times he propositioned before. Kylo watches her curiously and tries to push into her mind but she pushes back with a vengeance, denying him access to her thoughts.

A rumbling comes from under their feet followed by the roar of the Millenium Falcon as it flies upwards, filling the opening of the hangar. Poe rotates the ship from the cockpit, the ship of Kylo's childhood, facing the boosters at them, the rush of wind throwing the troopers back. Rey braces herself against the gust behind her and Kylo leans into it, his look of determination piercing into her.

"Rey!" Finn yells from the lowered door below the ship and extends his hand to her as well across the space between them.

Rey looks at Kylo who is standing up straighter now, still bracing against the wind, and then back at Finn, conflicted by the pull from both sides. "Rey come on!" Finn yells and she looks at him again.

"Rey," Kylo says to draw her attention back to him and his outstretched hand which he moves in emphasis as he says "Please."

Rey looks at him, shaking from the stress, more tears running down her cheeks. "No," she whispers and turns towards the ship. "No!" She yells louder and starts to close the door of the ship using the force and watches as Finn scrambles to counteract it, knowing it's not him doing it.

"Rey!" Finn pleads as the door closes completely and she strains to push the entire ship away. Poe attempts to counteract her effort from the cockpit but eventually concedes as the ship shoots away from the star destroyer, the blast causing all of the remaining troopers scattered in a half-moon formation to fly backward.

Rey lets out a gasp, takes a step away from the edge of the hangar bay and falls to the ground as the ship shoots into hyperspace, leaving her behind. She made her decision and followed her heart, and only time will tell if it was the right one or if she just made the worst decision she could.

The floor of the hangar is cold and perfectly polished, the bright lights leading to the ceiling reflecting on the black surface. Rey stares at the floor, catching her breath, as the reflection of Kylo approaches her, his steps even and slow until his boots are directly in front of her.

"Rey," Kylo says gently as he squats down next to her and removes his leather gloves from his hands by pulling on the tips of the fingers one at a time.

"I know now." Rey looks up at him, her cheeks stiff and wet from the tears, and her hair falling loosely around her face and tickling her neck.

Kylo extends his now bare hand slowly to her again, unsure of what she is thinking as she is still blocking him out mentally despite his attempts to push through. Her warm skin brushes against his as she reaches out to finally take his hand, and he pulls her up slowly with him to a standing position. His hand is large and engulfs hers, the rough callouses likely from his saber scratching against her skin.

"Okay," Rey whispers, her hand in his, the other hanging next to her side. He looks at her longingly, a small smile threatening to pull at the corner of his lips as he anticipates her words. "I'll join you."

Kylo's shoulders relax as he lets out the breath he was holding in and he pulls her face towards his by the back of her neck, crashing their lips together. She can taste the saltiness of her tears on their lips and she can feel the same electric charge she felt when they touched hands back on Antoch, just so much stronger now. "Finally," Kylo whispers as he pulls back and rests his forehead on hers, his hair tickling against her forehead and cheeks.

"Finally," Rey whispers back and squeezes her eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears.

Without warning, Kylo straightens up again, wiping all emotion from his face. "Come, we have a lot of preparations," he says in a heavy business tone and picks up his helmet from the metal floor. "Clean up here, and don't pursue that ship. We'll deal with them later." He addresses the stormtroopers and a general in black as he puts his gloves back on and then grabs her hand, pulling her along with him roughly.

"Kylo," she says with a concerned voice.

"Shush." He snaps and she does as he says. The doors rush open to the sides as they near them, his boots thudding along the stark black and grey corridors that she just traveled down to get to the hangar from his quarters. The walls angle upwards like an upside triangle, the floor almost shinier than the floor of the hangar, and lights outline all of the doors and panels.

They reach his quarters and he leads her back through the sliding door, his shoulders back and brows furrowed in concentration. The door rushes closed behind them as they turn and descend the few steps back into a large room with angled white walls and a window looking out to the stars. Pieces of the pedestal and the remnants of Darth Vader's melted helmet still lay on the floor and the table is void of Chewbacca's belongings that she had given to C3PO.

Rey jumps as Kylo turns to her, his expression softer again, grabs her by the hips, and pushes her up against the angular white wall. "I've waited so long for this. It almost doesn't feel real." He whispers as he presses his body against her and holds her jaw lightly in his palms, studying her face. Rey reaches up to his hairline, pushing his long unruly hair back off his forehead and following the scar with her eyes that she created with her saber.

"I'm here," Rey assures him, cupping his cheek in the palm of her hand and he nuzzles into it a little.

Kylo connects his lips with hers again, holding her by her hip and the side of her neck tenderly. Rey feels his emotional walls come down around her, letting her see into him completely. She sees it all, the emptiness, the loneliness, and the betrayal he has experienced in his life. Everything that has created this dark and corrupt shell of a man.

Releasing her, Kylo pulls her behind him towards the window and leads her up the sleek stairs that turn and lead the other direction halfway up. The stairwell opens into his living quarters complete with a kitchen containing black counters and hardware and white cabinets that leads directly into a seating area containing a sleek black couch and two armchairs centered around a short metal table. She takes a seat on the long black couch which is much more comfortable than it looks while he removes his gloves and overcoat, leaving him in his combat pants and a long sleeve black shirt.

"Now what?" Rey asks as Kylo sits next to her, draping his arm across the back of the couch.

"We acclimate you to live here on the ship and prepare to face your grandfather." His expression is soft and she feels butterflies stir up inside of her stomach as she notices for the first time the flecks of gold in his brown eyes that up to this point looked black. "I'm glad you're here," he says as he pushes her hair back behind her ear slowly and she melts into his touch. This is a new relationship, exciting, and terrifying all at the same time. They have to learn each other because they know very little about the other person and the air between them is almost awkward. Sure he can see in her head and she can see into his, but that doesn't allow you to know someone for who they are, that still takes time.

"Let's get you cleaned up. I can go get the seamstress and have her bring the items I had her preparing here for you," he says.

"You didn't know I was going to join you," she points out.

"I guess it was just a hopeful action." He says almost shyly and shrugs. "I was hoping eventually you'd join me, and if you did, I wanted to be fully prepared."

"What were you preparing?"

"Go shower and I'll show you after," he commands but with a gentle tone and Rey takes in the small details of his face at the small glimmer of a smile. The small beauty marks that sprinkle his cheeks, and the way that his cheeks crinkle into little wrinkles are all new things she's never noticed before in his usual stony facade.

"Okay," she concedes and he stands up, pulling her with him. They walk down a narrow white hallway, uplit from the bottom and top with lights that shine on the wall. He pushes a door open and reveals a large bathroom with charcoal tiled floor and walls, and light grey fixtures with silver hardware. The shower is all glass with a large shower head coming out of the wall and one over the top.

Rey watches with excitement as Kylo reaches in and turns one of the silver dials, followed by the other, and a steady stream of water releases from both showerheads.

"It'll take a while for it to warm up. The water heaters are a ways away." He walks to a closet and opens it, revealing a linen closet with black towels. He grabs two black plush towels and a washcloth. "One for your body, one for your hair, and one for your face," he expalins with an even tone, not looking at her as he sets them on the vanity. "I'll be back in a bit okay?"

"Okay," she says quietly, overwhelmed by her surroundings that are far different than the washrooms on the base.

"I will secure my quarters. No one will be able to get in here," Kylo assures her as he leans down and gives her a peck on the lips. Rey has never been kissed before today, and the sensation is foreign to her. Her lips tingle every time his leaves hers and she immediately longs for them to return.

Once he's gone, she locks the bathroom door and releases a giant cleansing breath with her forehead against the door. 'This is so overwhelming. What am I even doing? I gave up everything back there in the hanger, I betrayed my friends, the ones that had pretty much become like my family, and turned to the dark side for what? What is here for me?'

Submerging herself under the stream of water pouring from the ceiling, Rey allows herself to cry, the sound from the water muffling the sounds of her sobs in case he is still here. 'Finn, Poe, BB8, and all the rest of my friends, will I see them again, will they be okay? What about Leia? She was hoping I would bring Ben back, but in my attempt to save him, she lost us both.'

Once she composes herself, she bathes, using the basic soaps and shampoos Kylo has in the shower. She scrubs at her skin, working to remove the layers of dirt she had never quite been able to remove in the showers at the resistance base with the horrendous water pressure.

Stepping out of the shower and drying off, the realization that she doesn't have any clean clothes to wear hits her, and she becomes flustered as she decides what to do. Rey wraps her damp body in the large black towel turning it into a dress around her and uses the other to squeeze the excess water out of her hair. There's a large black comb on the counter so she picks it up and uses that to brush her hair out.

Unsure of how close Kylo is because she can feel his faint presence, she steps out into the hallway and makes her way back to the main room. Her bare feet slap lightly on the cold floor in the absence of any other sounds outside of the hum of the ship vibrating gently through the walls and floor constantly.

"Ben?" Rey says timidly testing if there's anyone around and she jumps at the sound of the double doors opening behind her across from the bathroom. The towel around her slips a little at her sudden movement, and her hands fly up to secure it again.

"That was fast," Kylo says as he steps out of the room and holds his hand out for her to take again. He has since pushed his sleeves up on his arms, revealing his forearms, and has changed into more casual black pants. "Come with me." Rey holds the towel to her tightly, becoming very aware of her nakedness under it, and feels a tingle as his hand closes around hers again.

He leads her through a large room with a bed bigger than one she has ever seen in her life centered on a wall draped with deep red curtains donning the First Order insignia. The tile matches that of the charcoal tile in the bathroom and the walls are a matte grey with long skinny lights along the top and bottom. The comforter on the bed is black with red stitching and grey sheets peek out from underneath.

He pushes open one of two doors on the wall opposite the bed and motions for her to follow. Step through the door frame, a large room is revealed, bigger than her own sleeping quarters back at the resistance base, filled with black, grey, and red clothing.

"What is this?" Rey's eyes bulge out and her mouth drops in awe.

"This is yours." Kylo leans against the door frame and watches her, scanning up and down her towel-covered body. He figured it was only fair after she had seen him shirtless during one of their force connections. "We estimated measurements so we can tailor as needed, but I oversaw the design process of it all."

Rey doesn't respond to him but continues to walk around and look at it all, running her hand along all of the different fabrics. There are jackets, shirts, pants, and boots all decorated with buckles, rivets, leather, and intricate stitching. There are even dresses of different styles and lengths. Gorgeous and intricate dresses covered in gems at that.

"Pick whatever you want, we'll be staying in the quarters tonight and training tomorrow morning," Kylo says before leaving her alone in the closet, closing the door behind him.

Her head spins again as she takes in all of the pieces surrounding her. After paging through all of the hangers and locating a drawer with underwear, she settles on a pair of perfect fitting pants made out of soft, stretchy fabric, and a long charcoal grey tunic that hangs gracefully on her frame. There's a pair of fur-lined boots that she slips on to her feet since she is not quite used to the coldness of the ship.

Before leaving the closet, she takes a final look at herself in the mirror and doesn't recognize the woman staring back at her. Rey's reflection is intriguing to her and she stares at herself in the black pants, boots, and tunic. Never in her life has she been so surrounded by darkness, and never did she think this would be her chosen life, living on a fist order ship willingly. 'I gave in to everything that I stood and fought against for so long. Will I be able to accept myself, or will I crumble under the weight of my new forced reality?'


	2. Anger

"The Jedi apprentice still lives," the decrepit Emperor growls at Kylo over the force connection. Kylo kneels before him, his head ducked slightly observing Palpatine's appearance and physical stature that is quickly deteriorating since he was on Exegol last. "Perhaps you have betrayed me," Palpatine says with a weak breath. "Don't make me turn my fleet against you."

Kylo takes extra care to shield his thoughts, sure to keep him blocked out to protect Rey's trues whereabouts. "She'll never be a Jedi," Kylo looks at him sincerely, sure to show him he is not trying to deceive him.

"Make sure of it," Palpatine says with authority that courses through Kylo and seems to nearly shake the floor. "Kill her." He snaps as Kylo cuts off the mental connection, unable to continue to hide the truth from Palpatine and his consistent attempts to push his way into Kylo's mind.

Unbeknownst to Palpatine, Rey is here, joined together with Kylo, fulfilling their destiny as a Dyad, and as a result, they will just continue to get stronger every day that they are together. Kylo knows he won't kill her, he wouldn't dream of it, but when she's ready, they will kill Palpatine together and take the throne. They will rule together, the galaxy will be theirs.

Kylo stands up from his kneeling position, readjusts his pants under his overcoat, and makes his way to the bridge. He knows he needs to inform the generals of the new arrival and prepare them for her reign with him.

—

After dinner that was delivered to them by a droid that is nowhere near as friendly as the ones Rey is accustomed to, Kylo had to handle business in the command center and left her alone in his quarters again. She feels lost in the large and bare rooms by herself, with none of her own belongings to help it feel like home, not that she had many back at the resistance base. Even her clothes that she came here in are gone, probably already thrown into an incinerator somewhere deep in the destoryer.

Rey runs her hand along the smooth wall as she walks, her fingers meeting the thick fabric of the maroon curtains donning the symbol of the first order on either side of the diamond-shaped windows and draped along some of the walls. Everything is cold, there is no warmth anywhere and it makes it feel even more empty than the rooms already are.

There is a level of anxiety growing inside of her regarding her new life. Rey had never considered what life with Kylo Ren was really like, she just jumped blindly into it, her judgment clouded by her overzealous heart. She knows his hard outer shell and tortured exterior well, but she also knows his soft side despite having seen it much less often. That's the side of him that had clothes made for her and listened to her talk about the desire to know her family with no judgment in his eyes over the fire on Anto. That's the side of him that she prefers and knows for a fact is a glimmer of his former self. A look into who Ben is. In the times when she felt so alone, he reminded her that she meant something to him. 'But what exactly do I mean to him, am I just a pawn, or am I something more than that?' She thinks as she walks, her slippers that are a touch to large for her feet scuffing on the tile floor.

Kylo had encouraged Rey to make herself at home and not wait up for him as he could potentially be gone for a few hours. She followed his orders and made her way to the bedroom with the large bed after rummaging through the bathroom to find a drawer that she assumes is for her with a toothbrush, comb, hair ties, and products for females. The attention to detail he had put into preparing for her arrival was impressive and she feels the gesture pulling at her heartstrings. 'How could someone that is so vial and wicked be so tame and caring behind closed doors? Are both sides still there, could he suddenly turn on me and turn into that vial creature again?'

In the kitchen, she stands on her tiptoes as she rummages through the cabinets and is able to locate a type of tea that she drank when she couldn't sleep on the resistance base. Using the teapot on the stove, she warms the water and steeps a mug of tea for herself before finding a spot at the counter to enjoy the soothing liquid that also creates a more intense wave of homesickness in her.

Unable to fully keep her eyes open anymore now that the tea is doing it's job, she makes her way back to the bedroom, exhausted from a long day, and pulls the heavy covers back from the large cushy mattress. Before Kylo had left, they hadn't discussed sleeping arrangements but after years of sleeping in the old ATAT and then months of sleeping on an old cot at the resistance, she is not going to openly choose to sleep on the couch.

After decoding the complicated panel of buttons lacking labels that control the lights, she settles on a function that casts a low red hue up onto the dark walls. She can barely see her hand in front of her face which will be perfect for sleeping but allows provides a little light left in the room that would be otherwise completely pitch black.

The bed is more comfortable than Rey could have even dreamed of and she lets herself sink down into it slowly. Pulling the sheets up to her chin, there is an overwhelming smell of a fragrance that smells almost like leather mixed with something fruity that sweeps up to her nose. It is intoxicating and she pulls the sheets further up under her nose and allows her body to completely relax and drift off encased in a soft cocoon of fabric and the scent of Kylo.

—

The ship shudders and jostles Rey gently from her sleep sometime later. She sits up confused, looking around the room for any signs that will tell her what time it is but the room is void of clocks. The feeling of Kylo being close again hits her, causing butterflies and she climbs out of the bed, slipping a light robe over her shorts and tank top and sliding slippers onto her feet. As quietly as possible, she pushes the double doors open and follows the sounds of soft snores coming from the living room.

Kylo lays on his back on the couch with a single blanket over him, one arm draped across his stomach and the other tucked behind his head making his bicep bulge out. His bare chest that sticks out above the blankets rises and falls in synchronized movements with his deep snores. In the shadows of the dark room, Rey can clearly see the scar she caused that leads from his eyebrow down to his chest, creating a long canyon on his soft skin.

"Kylo," she whispers, standing awkwardly in the middle of the living room, her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach as she tries to acclimate to the chilly air after being wrapped up in the warm bed. He stirs a little and his snoring stops but he doesn't wake up. "Kylo," she whispers again and he opens his eyes slowly, dipping his chin down a little and looking at her.

"Hi," he says and sits up quickly, the blanket falling to his lap. "You okay?"

"Do you want to sleep in your bed?" Rey pulls the robe even tighter around her as she shivers and adverts her eyes from his bare chest again. "I can sleep out here."

"No it's okay," he stretches a little and she can't help but watch the muscles ripple across his stomach. "I'm glad you're comfortable in there, I just didn't want to assume anything so I slept out here."

"You're welcome to join me then," Rey shrugs and Kylo studies her in the dim light from the hallway.

"Are you sure?" Kylo asks with a yawn and she sheepishly nods. "Ok," he agrees tentatively in an attempt to not seem too eager, stands up slowly, folds the blanket, and drapes it over the back of the couch.

They crawl back into bed on their opposite sides, and Rey basks in the warmth added from his body on the other side of the bed. "Come here." He says in a sleepy voice and she turns to him unsure of what he's up to. Rey jumps at the sudden feeling of his arms wrapping around her and pulling her against his bare chest. "I'm glad you're here." He whispers into her hair which causes her to involuntarily smile and she allows herself to relax into him.

—

"No not like that." Kylo snaps and Rey rolls her eyes as he runs his hands through his hair with a sigh. She stands in front of him, wearing pants that hug her legs tightly, leather boots, and a black tank top with cut-outs along her sides. Her hair is pulled back from her face like normal and she wears leather bands wrapped around her arms much like the outfit she came here in. They've been in the training facility for over two hours and the longer they work, the more agitated they both seem to become, especially Kylo.

Kylo continues to pace, swinging his sparring staff around him aggressively seemingly in a trance. His hair is soaked in sweat that drips onto his dark grey sleeveless shirt that is tucked into his black combat pants that hug his butt and thighs as he steps.

"Again." He turns back to Rey and moves to strike without warning but she blocks him. He counters to her side and she blocks, bouncing off the collision of their spar sticks, she swings her staff back and slashes into his side with the other end, knocking the wind out of him. "Shit," he says in reaction to the pain of the blow and steps back while Rey adjusts the staff in her hands and watches him as he regains his composure, a small smirk pulling on her lips.

Kylo had told her over breakfast this morning that he had designed a lightsaber that was double-ended because he knew she prefers to fight with a staff. They just needed to place the cyber crystals in it to complete it but he wanted her to personally do that. For practice, he had even designed a sparring stick that was a replica of the saber in design and mimicked the weight and feel of it as well.

"Better?" Rey breathes out, catching her breath.

"Kind of."

"Kind of?" She snaps back as she advances on him with no warning, spinning her staff at him which he blocks easily. She continues her advances which he moves quickly to block as she spins her staff and steps towards him. Rey turns quickly, stepping into him and knocking his spar stick out of his hands before kicking square into his chest, causing him to fly backward. The air rushes out of Kylo's chest at the impact on the floor and he lays on his back for a minute staring at the fluorescent light.

Rey walks around him, watching as he catches his breath from his spot on the floor, the smirk on her lips having since grown and threatening to turn into a full victorious smile. When his breathing has evened, she extends her hand and pulls him up, his face that of pride. "Good."

"Yeah?" She smiles at him.

"You know why that was good?" He unwraps the leather from around his hand and hangs his spar stick on the wall. She waits for him to continue as he takes her stick and hangs it by his. "Because you were angry." Rey looks at him and raises her eyebrow. "Luke taught you to find the balance between the light and dark, not to let your anger fuel you. But the thing is Rey, your power and your strength lie in your anger." He walks towards her and takes her chin in his hand roughly, forcing her eyes up to his. "I can feel you fighting it. Let go and let it take over, it's in your nature."

"I know it is, I'm just struggling," Rey whispers as he puts his hands around her waist and pulls her close quickly.

"It'll get easier. I promise," Kylo whispers and leans down to kiss her.

"How do you switch so quickly between your two sides?" Rey blurts out to sabotage his advances before he is able to connect his lips to hers.

"That's why Kylo was created. Since leaving the Jedi temple, I have existed as Kylo, Ben doesn't exist anymore." His eyes are dark as he says this and she studies him cautiously.

"But Ben does exist."

"Rey, will you stop?" He releases her and paces backward, running his fingers back through his damp hair. "Ben doesn't exist. He's dead. I killed him."

"Then when don't you correct me when I call you Ben?" She raises her voice at him.

"I don't know," he rolls his eyes and crosses his arms.

"Was that just to appease me? Make me comfortable so maybe I'll let my walls down and join you?"

"Rey stop it."

"No, you stop." She can feel her blood boiling inside of her and she tenses her fists by her side. "I came here for you. Because I know we are supposed to be together. You are my home, you have shown me compassion and made me feel like I belong with you."

"Rey, settle down." Kylo steps towards her with his hand outstretched because he's able to sense the anger and power that's rising up inside of her. As he approaches her he drops his other hand next to him and prepares to pull the sparing staff to him much as he did in Snoke's throne room. She can sense the fear inside of him and it fuels her even more.

"What? You told me to channel my anger." She rolls her eyes and steps back from him, taking herself out of his arms reach. "Well, I want answers Kylo." She can sense the hair on the back of his neck stand up and his eyes study hers with extreme caution, like someone encountering a wild animal in the wilderness. "What's wrong? Are you afraid of me?" Rey laughs.

"No sweetheart," Kylo says gently and she rolls her eyes again at the pet name he's only pulling out to hopefully calm her quicker.

"Liar, you forget that I'm in your head." Rey reaches out and her sparring staff flies to her hand as he pulls his to him in response. Their staffs meet in the air as she brings a blow down on him and he steps back from the reverberations of her power through the metal and wood in his hands.

They push off of each other, propelling their next actions, and bring their staffs together again, the sounds of their boots and the sticks clashing echoing through the empty training room. Rey advances on him, harder and even more aggressive and Kylo counters her attacks as she violently spins her staff which she holds in the middle to allow her to attack with both ends.

He finds a break in her attack and swipes his staff up next to her hands to stops her attacks. In her shock, he finds a moment to grab her with the force, freezing her and pushing her back onto the floor. He holds his staff to her neck and she looks up at him, panting and weaponless.

"Are we done?" Kylo snaps between his own heavy breaths from the sudden exertion.

"Yes," Rey concedes and lets her head fall back on the floor, her chest rising and falling rapidly, and he works on returning the sparing sticks to the wall again. "Channeling your anger is good, maybe do it less towards me and save it for the bad guys," he teases and offers her his hand to help her up.

"Well don't piss me off," Rey teases back and releases her hair from the buns on the back of her head, shaking it out over her shoulders.

"Come on, let's go get cleaned up," He leads her to the door, his hand on her back, and the lights turn off behind them.


	3. Blind Rage

"Ready?" Kylo says as he looks up at Rey across the slate grey table in the weapons design room on the second morning following her arrival. He had been working closely with the weapons specialist to design a sleek saber for her in hopes that she would join him one day and she would have a need for it. She nods with a small anticipatory smile on her face, following his lead for proper reactions since they're currently not alone and are being watched by the weapon's specialist. 

Rey watches in awe as he opens the long metal box and pulls out the double-ended lightsaber hilt he has been telling her about the last two days. It's matte charcoal grey with a hinge in the middle that allows it to be used as a double-bladed saber or a staff at her discretion. 

"Before we add the crystals, try it out," Kylo holds it out and motions for Rey to pick it up. She reaches out and grabs it timidly and her eyes light up as her skin comes in contact with the metal, sending goosebumps up her arm which Kylo feels faintly running up his own arm. With a small flick of her wrist, the saber folds out into a short staff and she folds it back up with the same amount of ease. "What do you think?" He asks, watching her with excitement.

"It's perfect," Rey smiles and flicks it back out again into a straight line, 

Kylo doesn't say anything as he pulls out another small sleek metal box and motions for her to trade the saber for the box. "Open it," he says as he locks her saber in the open position and works to release two compartments for the crystals. Rey opens the box slowly to reveal two small bleeding red crystals which she places carefully into the saber following Kylo’s directions and guidance. 

Once the compartments are secured again, Kylo folds her saber up and hands it back to her carefully. He watches her in anticipation and leans forward onto the table as she looks at it and takes a deep breath in, which she releases back out in slow motion, puffing her cheeks out as she does. Shivers run through his body as she kicks it out to a straight line and ignites it in a single fluid movement. The noise is harsher and louder than the blue saber she had been using and a crackling red light shines out from both ends, casting the entire room and her in a red hue. 

"I love it," Rey says as she maneuvers it around her in effortless circles, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth, the buzzing sound of the blades surging and rippling as she spins it, making rotations around her body. 

"Final touch," Kylo walks towards her around the table as she disengages her saber, and he wraps a double strap black leather belt around her waist she immediately secures the saber in it. "Let's go try it out in the training room."

He grabs her hand excitedly and pulls her behind him, leaving the weapons specialist in the room without exchanging any more words. Everyone in the halls move quickly out of their way as their boots boom towards them, the cadence of their steps not breaking even for the small droids that zip in front of them, beeping frantically.

When Rey came out of the bathroom this morning, Kylo had been impressed and surprised by her change in appearance. She had elected to leave her hair down instead of pulling it back and had added a little dark makeup to her eyelids and eyelashes that contrasted her hazel eyes and made them even more stunning. Rey's attempt at trying to assimilate to life here on the destroyer with him hasn't gone unnoticed and he was finding her small changes in even the second day since her arrival increasingly attractive.

"Don't hit me this time okay?" Kylo watches her eyes intensely as he removes his saber from his belt and ignites it, taking his stance with one foot splayed out further than the other, slightly further than shoulder-width apart, with the saber vibrating and humming in his hand. 

"I told you, don't piss me off," Rey teases as she takes her saber off her belt and flicks it open so it's straight in a fluid motion naturally as if it's an extension of her own body. As she spins it next to her, it ignites and she stands across from him with a smirk on her face, half of it cast in red light from her saber. Her moving so naturally with it and the red hue cast on her soft skin gives him butterflies and he gulps down the feeling creeping up his chest. 

As they spar, Kylo works to keep blocking her as she plays with the balance of her saber. It's a little heavier than the staff she was sparring with yesterday and she has to put more effort behind each swing, but she quickly learns how to adjust to it. As she turns 360 degrees, she folds the saber back up so the blades are parallel without warning and traps Kylo's saber between them. Her face is close and determined and he stares at the reflection of the three glowing blades in her eyes that look darker than normal, and for a moment, he catches a glimpse of her in the snowy forest of Star Killer base. The crackling red hues remind him of the bright collision of their sabers that night in the forest, casting a purple hue on her face, the moment he realized, just how powerful and captivating she was. Kylo can't move, partially because she has him trapped and partially because he's completely in awe of the dark and beautiful creature in front of him, a direct juxtaposition of the girl he had met in the forest. She moves with such grace and ease when she fights, and Kylo is finding himself lost in her presence.

A smile spreads across her face and he reciprocates as they both disengage the sabers at the same time, their breath labored and rapid from the short workout. 

"You were checking me out," Rey laughs as she steps back and wipes her forehead, securing her saber on her hip and shaking her shoulders out.

"You were in my head again," he teases back and pulls her tight against him after his saber is also secured on his own belt. 

"You aren't very good at keeping me out," Rey wraps her arms around his neck and he feels his cheeks turning red at the closeness and her comfortableness with it. 

"I happen to like you there," he mumbles, deciding to just go for it as he leans forward and bites lightly at her neck. Rey pulls his face to hers and he meets her lips excitedly as they pull each other tighter. Kylo bends down and picks her up, his hands sneaking to the back of her legs while walking to the side of the room. 

Her back meets the wall and she wraps her legs around his waist as their tongues explore each other's mouths and her hands find their way into his hair. "Kylo," she whispers and he kisses along her jaw. "We should stop."

"Why?" He whispers as he lightly sucks on her neck, making sure to not leave any bruises on her sensitive skin. 

"Because we're in a training room making out."

"So?" He chuckles as he brings their lips together, their lips hot, and the connection between them absolutely intoxicating.

The door opens on the far side of the room and Kylo immediately puts her down at the sound of heavy boots. 

"General Pryde," Kylo acknowledges as he fixes his hair and tries desperately to cool his cheeks. Rey hides behind him for a moment, readjusting her shirt, and steps back around him when she's sure her appearance is acceptable.

"Rey," Pryde nods at her. "Welcome. I can see you're getting.... acclimated well." He draws out the word acclimated and narrows his eyes a little as he scans up and down Kylo's body. 

"Can we help you, General?" Kylo says to distract him from the events he just interrupted.

"Your presence is requested on the command deck." General Pryde says in a clipped tone and gives Kylo another once over. "Compose yourself and join us please."

\--

Rey sits patiently in one of the armchairs in the sitting room of the quarters watching Kylo as he puts his overcoat on and readjusts his hair before putting his helmet on. After their morning training with her new saber, Rey had opted to change as well, opting for a pair of shiny black pants and high neck black shirt with fabric draped down the back, and a leather strip on the sleeves that reaches down to her wrists. 

A shiver runs up her spine as she watches him obscure his face again with the helmet for the first time since she arrived, and it whistles shut, creating a seal around his face.

_ 'I'm still in here, just relax,' _ Kylo says to her through the force connection and she stares at the black holes of his mask where his eyes should be. ' _ You look amazing by the way,' _ he adds and she smiles up at him, his fingers playing delicately with her hair.

He slides his leather gloves onto his hands slowly, and Rey watches as his skin disappears under the thick black fabric, concealing him completely and turning him back in to the foreboding creature she has fought many times. Rey stands from the armchair, and Kylo places his gloved hand on her back, leading her out of the living quarters towards the command deck. In her two days of residence, she hasn't been to the bridge yet, and she can feel the nerves rising quickly in her as they make their way down the halls towards it.

_ 'Just stay quiet while we're in there,' _ Kylo says.  _ 'Talk to me silently, they don't need to hear our conversations.' _

The elevator moves quickly and goosebumps form on her arms as she thinks about the last time they were in an elevator together. Rey vividly remembers the conflict that was present in his mind and how he had protected her and saved her from Snoke unexpectedly. The conflict was present in her that day as well, stuck between the decision of if she should join him or return to the light. Ultimately, she had returned to the light that day which as a result sent him into a darker and deeper tailspin than before. 

Since her arrival to the star destroyer with him, he had calmed significantly and Rey felt herself calming as well. Kylo was right, the dark side is in her nature and she knows that this is who she is destined to be.

"Ren," A female general with dark skin says as they enter the large room and descend down a couple of steps. He leads her between two rows of computers manned by workers in black coats and hats and Rey stares at the screens, noticing some similarities to the resistance technology. "Didn't know you were bringing the girl," she adds.

"The girl," Kylo growls, his voice altered by the mask. "will rule by my side. You will address her as Rey and nothing else." 

"Apologies Sir," the general bows her head slightly and moves back to the panel. "We have located a resistance ship and are tracking them, however, they have not returned to the resistance base."

"Which ship?" He nearly growls through the mask and Rey can feel the anger rising inside of him, raising the hair on her own arms in response. 

"The Millenium falcon," She says slowly and Rey physically feels a wall slam down on their force connection as Kylo blocks her out.

She pushes against it, trying to get in, but he just pushes back harder as he talks to the general and views a hologram of the ship.

"Kylo," Rey whispers behind him and he stiffens at the sound of her voice. "Kylo," she repeats again and he turns to her.

"Not now," he snaps and she glares at him as he starts to turn back around to the hologram. 

"Kylo I," Rey whispers again and he turns, striking the back of his hand across her cheek, a slap from the leather connecting with her skin ringing out. She stares at the ground with her head turned to the side in disbelief, knowing from the deafening silence in the room that everyone is looking at her. Her cheek burns and throbs from the contact of his leather-covered hand striking her face and she fights back the tears that are stinging the backs of her eyes. He says nothing to her and just turns around to continue his conversation the beeps of the computers the only sound still in the room.

"Keep me updated," Kylo commands the general and turns around to go back to the door. "Come," he mutters to Rey and she follows him grudgingly, tears still prickling at her eyes from the shock and embarrassment. As he trudges down the hallway, he keeps her behind him and maintains the mental walls that are keeping her out. Rey stares straight ahead, ignoring the heat that is intensifying on her cheek and not bothering to try to get back through to him. 

They walk into the quarters and stop in the main entry with the pedestal and giant window. "What was that?" Kylo snaps, pacing back and forth. Rey folds her arms and looks at him but doesn't say anything. "Rey, what was that?" He yells louder. 

"Taking the fucking helmet off Kylo," she yells back and he looks at her through the black holes of his mask, she can feel his eyes on her, but can't physically see them. He plants his feet at shoulder width and reaches up to remove the cracked helmet, shaking his hair out and throwing it to the side on the floor, the metal making a loud clanking noise as it rolls to a stop. His eyes meet hers and she shivers at how dark his eyes look under his furrowed brow. 

"You do not disrespect me like that,” he yells and a vein pops out on his neck, his skin turning red. 

"You told me that I am your equal Kylo," she argues and he freezes her where she is without hardly raising his arm. 

"I don't disrespect you, you don't disrespect me," he circles her slowly, her body still being restrained by him much like their first meeting at Takodana. "I stood up for you in there, I respected you." 

"Let me go," Rey strains against him, slowly moving her arms. "Kylo."

"No." He snaps and walks right in front of her making it easy for her to glare at him but he seems unphased by her anger. 

Rey pushes even harder against him causing him to lose his grip and she pushes him back into the wall, the metal denting from the impact, another loud crash, and crunching sound ringing out. "You hit me," she snaps and pushes her forearm against his windpipe. "How was that respecting me?"

They glare at each other, their faces inches apart, their breaths heavy and labored. "I'm sorry," he breathes out and her shoulders relax at his words. 

"Me too," Rey drops her arm from his neck and steps back, readjusting her sleeves. Kylo immediately grabs her hips and pushes her against the wall behind him and aggressively kisses her. His hands fumble with her shirt as he tries to remove it and he pushes his hardened member up against her hip. In his lustful state, he has dropped his mental walls and she can view his thoughts again.

"No," Rey pushes him away with the force and straightens her shirt as she tries to unsee what she just saw in his head. "I'm not one of your whores that you can abuse and then fuck. Just no." He stares at her in shock, not knowing how to respond as she fixes her hair and turns back to him. "Love me or don't, but you don't get to demand respect from me but then turn around and disrespect me like that. I am not an object that is here for your enjoyment, I'm here to be with you, to rule with you, and to love you. So go away and don't come back until you find the man I came here for."

"Rey." Kylo steps towards her, his hand reaching out in her direction.

"No!" Rey screams. "Leave!" She storms up the stairs, through the living room, and down the hallway to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her and flipping the lock closed. She sits on the end of the bed, still able to feel him near and hear him outside of the room. He paces for a few moments before conceding and leaving her alone in the quarters. 

As soon as the presence of Kylo is gone, she leaves the bedroom and goes into the bathroom to wash the makeup off her face before crawling back into bed. She finds a clean black tank top with thin straps and a matching pair of shorts similar to the ones she wore the last two nights and slips them over her freshly moisturized skin. 

Once the lights are set, casting a low red hue across the room again, she snuggles into the bed on her side in the fetal position. ‘ _ Maybe coming here was a mistake. The dark side might be in my nature, but can I really deal with him and who he is at the core?’  _

\--

Kylo returns to their living quarters a few hours later, his presence immediately waking Rey up from her deep sleep. The shower turns on down the hallway and she lays there questioning if he's going to come into the room at all or if he’s going to opt for the couch like he did the night previous, just for different reasons.

A few minutes after the shower turns off, the bedroom door opens and he sneaks in while holding a towel around his waist and heads to the dresser by the closet. 

"Kylo?" Rey mumbles as he opens the top drawer to pull out a pair of underwear.

"Yes?" He whispers back and she can see his silhouette as he drops the towel and dresses.

"Are you calmer now?" 

"Yes Rey, I am." 

"Good," She says and lets the silence hang for a moment as he finishes dressing and closes the drawer. "Are you coming to bed?"

"As long as you're okay with it. I was fully prepared to sleep on the couch again."

"I'm okay with it," Rey responds. 

He slips into bed behind her, and it feels like he is a mile away on the other side of the large bed but he doesn't move any closer. "Kylo?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?" He says with a content sigh and rolls towards her, the smell of his soap wafting across the bed. 

"I need to tell you something." she doesn't roll towards him but backs up a little as she shifts how she's laying, closing the gap between them a touch.

"Me first," Kylo pauses and she waits for him to continue. "I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. I was blinded by rage and I know my actions towards you were wrong." 

"I appreciate your apology," Rey acknowledges and sighs. 

"What's bothering you?" He reaches out and runs his fingers down her arm that is on top of the blanket. She can feel him in her thoughts, but with how fast they are running she can't even get a handle on what's going on in her mind, so she's sure he can't either.

"I want to be intimate with you, but I don't want to be treated like the other girls because..." she trails off. "Because I've never been intimate with someone. Actually, you were my first kiss period and I've never felt this way towards someone."

"I'm so sorry." He scoots over close enough that she can feel the heat radiating off his skin. "I didn't mean to rush you. As I said..."

"You were in a blind rage." Rey finishes his sentence. "I've been there, I know." 

Rey backs up against him and he responds by wrapping his arms around her. His skin is hot from the shower and radiates through the thin fabric of her clothes.

"We don't have to do anything until you're ready." He whispers as he peppers kisses along her shoulder and rests his hand on her stomach. Rey reaches back to his hair and snakes her fingers into it, giving it a gentle tug. 

Rey smiles as he nuzzles into the back of her neck and she runs circles around on the back of his forearm that is wrapped in front of her. There's an unfamiliar tingle forming in her stomach and between her legs but she likes the feeling of it, so she doesn't push it away. "Ben?" 

"Hmmm?" He mumbles lazily into her neck. 

"Thank you," she whispers and smiles at him not reeling from her using the name ‘Ben’ to address him again. She takes mental note that she can still use it, she just needs to be selective with it.

  
  



	4. Loyalties

Rey stands alongside Kylo in the control room, their backs to the wall of windows looking out to the front of the star destroyer. After she stood up to him with such ferocity last evening, he is finding her even more distracting than she was before and her newfound love for tight leather combat pants and shirts with mesh cutouts isn't helping him any either.

"We have located the resistance base," Pryde says while leading them to the window to look down at the planet they had stopped above overnight. "The ship was stupid enough to return while we were tracking them. Not that they had much of a choice, I'm sure their fuel reserves were dangerously low."

"Where are we?" Kylo asks, Rey hanging back behind his shoulder a touch.

"Ajan Kloss," Pryde narrows his eyes and looks down at Rey. "I'm sure you should have been able to tell us that though."

"You will not concern yourself with her," Kylos snaps at him and Prydes blue eyes return to his mask. Kylo had in fact learned that the Rebel's were on Ajan Kloss by entering her mind yesterday when she was lounging on the couch, her guard down, and thinking about her friends back on the base. In order to not betray her trust though, Kylo decided to wait for the location to be discovered. Rey still possesses an annoying amount of loyalty to the resistance and to his mother, but he knows that pushing her to betray that too fast would push her away as a result.

"Another ship has evacuated sir," a technician says to Pryde from the bank of computers to the right.

"Shall we destroy it?" General Paranadee asks Kylo, her face eager and waiting. "Our weapons are charged."

"No, I would like to make a sweep and personally visit the remaining fighters myself," he says to the general. "Prepare my transport."

Rey falls into stride with Kylo as they make their way down to the hangar bay to his transport, and he notices how distant she seems and that she has her mental walls up. Crews rush around the ship and they board it, Kylo taking his seat in the pilot's chair after removing his helmet, and Rey sitting in the copilot's chair next to him.

Kylo flips through the switches following the preflight routine and lifts the ship off the hangar floor, leading the trail of tie fighters and trooper transports down to the planet. Rey sits quietly next to him unmoving, guarded, and distant.

"Who's still there?" Kylo asks, looking straight ahead at his path, his head no longer concealed by his helmet.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she mutters, looking straight ahead as well.

"You're locating them. Who's there?"

"Very few people are left."

"My mother?"

Rey shakes her head. "I can't sense her. Just Poe and Finn and a few others."

"Ah, the traitor and the pilot," he acknowledges as he lowers the ship in a clearing, dirt and leaves blowing up around them. The ship lurches as the landing gear comes into contact with the ground and the ships sink slightly into the wet ground of the humid planet.

Rey is already on her feet as Kylo takes a moment to power the ship down and he stands up quickly to catch her. "Wait," he demands as he reaches out and grabs her wrist with his leather-covered hand. Rey stands at an angle to him, looking over her shoulder and glaring at him. "Your loyalties are with the First Order, it's time to forget the Resistance."

"Unlike you, I won't kill people who I care about," she snaps.

"I didn't care about Han Solo," Kylo hisses at her and tightens the grip around her wrist. She stares up at him, challenging him and unphased by his aggressiveness.

"You keep telling yourself that Kylo, but I will not kill my friends."

"Your friends are rebel scum," Kylo yells, his hair falling into his reddening face.

"Until three days ago, I was rebel scum too," Rey yells back, her eyes visibly darkening.

"We will eliminate anyone we encounter, I don't care who it is. Understand?" Kylo glares at her and she glares back, both of them challenging the other to back down.

"Understood," she snaps and fastens her cape onto the shoulders of her black shirt, clasping the chain in front of her neck, and flips her hood up to rest on her head.

The door lowers on the transport and troopers run past the ramp, scattering in different directions, the sounds of their blasters ringing out occasionally. The air is heavy and thick her from the humidity and the ground is covered in thick brush and moss. There are only a couple of ships left in the hangers and almost no activity.

The base is littered with dirty old computers and wires intertwined with vines that have grown around them. Kylo's steps make a noise that is a combination of a squish and a crunch, as he breaks twigs between the bottom of his boots and the soft ground.

The combination of the musty smell accompanied by the smell of ship fuel and the sounds of nature overwhelms Kylo's sense and suddenly he's 6 again, following his mother and Luke walking around the base. Luke had trained his mother here before she gave up her lightsaber for a reason she never wanted to share with him and returning to this place leaves an empty hole in his heart that he tries desperately to ignore.

Rey has gone ahead of him, probably already deep in the base that she is so familiar with and Kylo follows a path that branches off into a smaller one. The door of the room that is his intended destination is left ajar, and he pushes it open slowly, the hinges groaning from the rust that has surely built up over the years. The room is baren, nothing left beside the bed that she surely slept on again since her return.

Kylo sits on the bed for a moment, lost in his thoughts, fighting the light presence of his mother trying to push back through. His shoulders feel heavy, and he allows his head to drop a little as he squeezes his eyes shut and calms his thoughts. With a cough, he clears his throat and stands up, squashing the memories swirling in his mind and trudges back down the hallway to go find Rey. Her presence is still strong so she's near, but he's not entirely sure of her whereabouts.

\--

The thoughts in Kylo's mind run wild and Rey watches him with intrigue, keeping her distance from him until she is sure she can make her escape. Once she knows he's too preoccupied to notice her, she darts down a hallway taking her further into the base. She stops momentarily in a room that had acted as her quarters that she shared with a few others. The bed she called her own is stripped of the sheets, and all of her personal belongings are gone, including the saber she was working on, probably packed and evacuated with everyone else.

She moves down the hallways further into the base, the sound of the troopers and ships outside becoming faint hums in the background the further she goes. She isn't sure what she's looking for, if anything, but the silence and lack of Kylo provides her a welcome break.

The sound of heavy and rapid footsteps draws her attention and she continues cautiously down the hallway to where it intersects with another one. The boots are solid and heavy, but the person is quick on their feet, telling her it isn't a stormtrooper as they can't maneuver the suits quite that gracefully.

"Shit!" The man gasps as he rounds the corner and sees her, stumbling backward before regaining his footing. His head cocks to the side as he looks at her and takes a step forward again, confusion etched on her face. "Rey?" He asks and Rey's stomach drops as she looks at Poe. His cheeks are flushed and there is sweat running down his face, matting his unruly curls to his face. "They turned you into one of them."

"They didn't do anything," Rey says with authority, listening to the sound of footsteps approaching further down the hallway. Poe's eyes flick to the new presence, but Rey doesn't need to see him to know exactly who it is; Finn. "I chose this Poe."

Poe steps back a touch, his eyebrows knitting together as he studies her and rests his hand on his blaster on his hip, but Rey knows he won't shoot her. In response, Rey takes a stance, moving her hand to her saber and slowly unhooking it from her belt.

"Rey?" Finn asks as he rounds the corner and looks at her, taking in her dark appearance, amplified by the black hood framing her face. He steps towards her with his hand up and Rey ignites her lightsaber, casting a Red hue across the walls and their faces, reflecting in the sheen on their skin from the sweat. "You don't have to do this, you can come back. We miss you."

"I'm not coming back," she hisses, taking a step towards them and watching the two red lines reflecting in their eyes, fear, and concern overtaking their faces. The presence of Kylo pushes into her mind and she knows that he's getting near, by how fast it's intensifying. "You need to go, he's coming," Rey snaps, and both Poe and Finn stare at her. "Go! I might not kill you, but he will," she says with more authority through her teeth and they back up quicker.

Poe turns and runs in a sprint towards the back landing pad where she knows the falcon is kept, but Finn stays put, still staring at Rey. "Rey," he says, his face sad. "I..." he trails.

"I know," Rey nods. "Go."

He turns on his heels on command and runs away and Rey watches him as she clicks her saber back onto her belt, being sure to keep Kylo out. She turns on her heels and walks back the direction she came from towards him, his footsteps becoming louder as her approaches.

"No one this way," Rey says as soon as she sees him and takes a sharp breath in at the sight of him causing a moment of deja vu back to all of their encounters before.

"You let them go," he accuses.

"I don't know what you're implying Kylo," she lies and he stares down at her, his masks audibly letting out a long deep breath.

"Where do your loyalties lie?" he steps forward, towering over her, the dark holes of his mask bearing down on her. "With the Rebels or with the First Order?"

"With you," she says confidently.

Kylo stares at her, the rage boiling inside him as he realizes she just avoided the question. "I am the leader of the First Order, you will not challenge me," he says and points his gloved finger in her face. Rey drops her eyes, her face unphased and stares at his fingertip inches from her nose.

"You and I are not the same," she whispers.

"We're a Dyad Rey, we're more similar than you want to admit," his voice is angry as he leans forward even more and waves his hand over her head. Before she has a chance to react and counteract him, he's picking her up in his arms and her vision goes black.

\--

Kylo sits in the armchair in the corner of the bedroom, leaning forward so his elbows rest on his knees, staring at her face, and waiting for her to wake up. The conflict in her is a problem because she is unwilling to turn herself completely over to the dark side. She doesn't know where her loyalties stand she is floundering around trying to find her footing, leaving Kylo to pick up the pieces.

He doesn't know how to how to access the dark side in her enough to snuff out the light in her and eliminate the side of her that is continuously trying to turn him back to the light. Even when she isn't trying, he can feel it, the draw to the light that is present in her. Her presence and her aura naturally make him want to resurrect the side of him that he has buried so deep for so long. 

Rey shifts under the covers and Kylo sits up, waiting anxiously for her to wake up completley because he knows she is going to be upset. Her eyes flutter open in the soft yellow light that he set the lights on the wall to. Unmoving, he waits patiently for her to regain her bearings and sit up, trailing her eyes around the room until they reach his. Her gaze quickly switches from confusion to anger and her memory betrays him.

"You can't keep doing that." She says, spinning towards him further, her eyebrows furrowing.

"You were dangerous to have down there. You weren't ready."

"I was plenty ready," she argues and flips the covers back to get up out of the bed.

"No you're weren't," Kylo taps his fingers on the arm of the chair impatiently and annoyed by her stubbornness. "There's too much light in you still, we have a lot of work to do before you face Palpatine."

"What do you know?" She spits and wraps herself in a silk robe. Kylo watches her, her nipples pressing through the thin fabric of her undershirt he left her in and resists the urge to grab her and throw her back on the bed for her little moody outburst.

"A hell of a lot more than you," he argues and follows her out to the kitchen where she digs through the cupboards.

Rey doesn't respond to him, just slams a cupboard shut as hard as she can and fills the teapot up with water before placing it on the stove with a thud.

"You are insufferable," he groans as he leans forward on the counter, watching her and rolling his eyes at the scene she is making.

"I'm insufferable?" She yells as she force pulls the mug she had left on the counter to her hand and in fluid motion chucks it at his head. Kylo force grabs it himself, suspending it in the air, fighting against her.

Both of their minds simultaneously flick pack to Pasana, when they played a sick game of tug of war with a trooper transport and they both pull at the mug even harder, causing the thin ceramic to let out small clicks signfying that it's about to break. They both let out a breath at the same time and drop their hands in a synchronized movement, the mug crashing to the floor and shattering into pieces.

Kylo stares at her, her eyes huge and her lips parted as she slows her breaths again, coming off the high caused by her anger, and her eyes return to their natural hazel color.

"Ironic that the only time I can act as you want, is when I'm angry with you," she says, her voice low and calm again, a hint of mischief present.

Kylo doesn't respond, just continues to stare at her, completely enthralled, yet bewildered by her.

"What?" She whispers, her eyes flashing dark again from annoyance and Kylo shakes his head, snapping himself out of his trance.

"Nothing," he says stepping over the mug towards her and she watches him cautiously and confused. "It's nothing," he whispers and takes her face roughly in his hands, crashing his lips into hers.

She immediately responds, wrapping her arms around him, one diving into his thick hair, and the other pressing into his back, pulling her even closer to him.

He presses against her and lifts her onto the counter so he can fit between her legs as they both fight for an advantage, both of their minds a cloud of remnants of their frustration and growing lust for the other person.

A high pitch squeal rings out and Rey rips her face away, leaving his lips cold and him right on the edge of losing all self-control. "I should get that," she mumbles and scoots away, planting her feet on the floor, and removing the teapot form the stove.


	5. Second Best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *There is a character in this chapter that is dealt with differently than they are in the movie and I'm fully aware*

"Sit there," Kylo orders as he stalks around the room and she stares at his boots as they thud on the floor, his shoulders pulled tight from stress and his jaw clenched. "Rey," he says again and her eyes flick up to his which bore holes into her.

Rey rolls her eyes, annoyed by his moodiness since they returned back to the destroyer and she woke up in bed after their morning exploring the base. The metal is cold through her pants, but she sits as he demanded, crossing her legs over each other and watching him apprehensively.

Kylo undoes his overcoat slowly, his eyes trained on a random spot on the floor in front of him, his jaw shifting as he thinks. Shrugging the coat off, he throws it to the side, leaving it in a heap on the floor below the hook and turns to Rey while rolling his sleeves up his broad forearms.

"We need to deal with your aversion to the dark side," he growls and begins pacing around her in a circle.

"My aversion?" Rey counters, her voice trained and level.

"You're too quick to run back to the light," he specifies and takes a moment to read her thoughts with little effort. "Which you find ironic because of how much you alarmed Luke by your quick draw to the dark."

"Get out of my head," she hisses at him, grimacing as she locates his presence and pushes back.

"How did it feel Rey? To spend your whole life waiting for people who abandoned you to come back?"

"They abandoned me because they cared for me. They were trying to protect me," Rey argues, her eyes squinted at Kylo as he ruffles his unruly hair on his head.

"If that's what you wish to believe," he chuckles and Rey watches his slow, steady steps as he walks in front of her again. "What about your grandfather? The only family you have left. Ordering me to kill you."

"Why don't you then?" Rey snaps at him, her eyes narrowed still.

"Because I'm all you have left," he squats down in front of her, making it impossible for her to ignore him as he stares her down. "Close your eyes," he whispers, only inches from her face and Rey obeys, her eyelashes flitting shut to rest on her cheeks.

The presence of Kylo in her head is prominent, but she doesn't push back against him, instead allowing herself to open to be open to the process he has in mind. He combs through her memories as if they're organized in perfectly labeled file folders and he knows exactly which one he's looking for.

"All those nights, those hot days, alone," he whispers, a low growl still present in his voice. "Only the sound of the wind kicking the sand up against the metal sides of your scavenged shack as you ate the slowly dwindling rations you worked so hard to earn, to barely make it by day by day."

Rey's shoulders relax as memories of her childhood run through her head, a small girl just trying to survive in the desert alone from a young age.

"The fear," he says, a smile present in his tone. "You look up at her, the old woman, her life spent, wasted really, in the wasteland that is Jakku. You see yourself in her, a lifetime of grueling work for little pay, struggling to survive despite the odds working against you at every turn."

Rey feels a tear slip out of her still closed eyes, leaving a wet trail down her soft pinked skin as her hands clench slightly where they rest on her knees.

"Han solo," Kylo mutters with a tone of distaste. "The momentary father figure you so quickly latched onto, despite his aversion to your clear idolization as you tried to fill the hole that your parents created."

Kylo watches her, giving the words a moment to sink in before continuing, her face contorted, and a few more tears slipping down her cheek.

"Then he was so quickly ripped away from you, by his true son, the one who had a family and threw it away. You hate him for that. He had something you so desperately craved but all he did was run from it and destroy it intentionally. When it came down to it, Solo cast you aside, and abandoned you all in an attempt to save his true son, the one he actually loved."

Rey's cheeks are wet with tears but Kylo can sense the anger, sadness, and fear all rising in her and stands back up to continue his circular route around her.

"My mother, sending you into dire situations demonstrating her willingness to sacrifice you in her attempt to bring me back," Kylo says, aware of his twisted truth he is narrating, but continuing without hesitation as Rey spirals further and further from the light with each word that passes from his lips to her ears. "In their minds, you're always second best to me, and always will be. Even with Luke, you lived in my shadow. He saw me in you, skewing his perception of you until all he saw was a young Ben Solo," he hisses his name and Rey gulps, her eyebrows knitting together.

"Or your friends," Kylo continues, chuckling at the word friends. "The ones you disobeyed direct orders from me and showed mercy to, when they weren't even willing to fight for you a few days prior. They left you in the hanger bay, without a backward glance or attempt to return for you. Fleeing like scared children instead of attempting a rescue as they did for their precious Chewbacca."

Kylo can sense her trying to fight back against him, knowing he's misconstruing the truth but he doesn't allow her to process her thoughts, just allows her to develop anger towards him as well, knowing it will work to his benefit.

"Rey," Kylo says, squatting in front of her again and resting his hands on hers on her knees. She doesn't open her eyes, instead, she squeezes them together even harder and Kylo knows she is on the edge of breaking. "Your life has been lonely, filled with abandonment, feelings of worthlessness which in a way are accurate. You know you're no one, you always have been despite your family name which you haven't deserved up to this point," Kylo pauses studying her face which is rigid, her tears have stopped flowing, and her shoulders are back. "But with me you're someone, you have belonging, a purpose, and you deserve your family name," Kylo reaches out and hooks his finger under her chin, tipping it up as her eyes open, the color of her hazel eyes dark and unrecognizable.

"Let go," he whispers and her face twitches from the tension within, her pupils dilating with a smirk trying to peek out from the corner of her mouth. Rey nods slowly the smirk breaking through and Kylo leans forward to kiss her quickly, reveling in his success. "I have someone we need to deal with," he says standing up and offering her his hand which she takes, allowing him to pull her up.

"Who is it?" Rey asks, her voice even, but not masking her skepticism.

"A traitor," Kylo says, not allowing her any more information, and laces his gloved hand in hers. Their chests are only inches apart and their breath mixes together between them, Kylo studying her face with immense curiosity.

"And how will we deal with him?" She questions, a wicked smile spreading across her face.

"Questioning for information," Kylo states and she nods. "And then eventual execution for his crimes at the troopers hands. Are you up for that?"

"Absolutely," she says confidently and gives him a sudden peck on the lips. "It's time for me to prove my loyalty to you."

—

A trooper holding his blaster in front of him stands at attention at the end of the hallway leading to the holding cell. He nods at Kylo wordlessly and steps out of the way, keeping his head which is concealed by his helmet turned forward but watching Rey out of the corner of his eye.

Rey pays him no attention as she steps past him through the door that rushes closed behind her, the air tickling the back of her neck as it rustles the baby hairs that can't be contained by the elastics holding her hair up in a bun on the top of her head.

Kylo can sense her questioning who is behind the door as he waits for an officer to unlock it and allow them in. "No need to come in," Kylo says to the male officer. "We have everything under control."

"Yes sir," the man says and steps back to his post.

Rey steps into the room with Kylo, circling around the chair in the middle holding a man at a standing position. His eyes flick from Kylos mask then to Rey's exposed face, his expression clearly terrified and alarmed, his breathing labored, and motions of his head erratic as he pulls on the restraints around his wrists and ankles.

"Hux," Kylo growls through the mask.

"This is the traitor?" Rey verifies, her face guarded and arms crossed as she squares up directly in front of Hux. Pushing into his head, she can sense his fear, mixed with confusion concerning her arrival and new appearance. "You're scared of me."

"No ma'am," Hux whimpers, gulping his nerves down.

"We'll make this easy then," Rey smiles and steps towards him as Kylo leans against the wall in Hux's peripheral vision. "Answer some simple questions for me and we'll leave you alone. Who do you work for you?"

"The First Order," he says quickly and Rey glances at Kylo who shakes his masked head at her.

"You're a traitor, that's clearly not true," Rey chuckles, cocking her head to the side. "Will this help you remember?" Rey coos as she places pressure on Hux's mind along with on his left femur bone, causing his face to contort from a grimace.

He doesn't budge and Rey pushes harder into his mind and against his bone, her tense hand rotating to the side of his head, his eyes squeezing tight. "The resistance," he blurts out but Rey doesn't let up as she waits for a name. "My point of contact was D'Acy who relayed information to the General."

Rey releases him and looks up at Kylo who still has his arms crossed and is watching Rey silently, allowing her to handle it as if he isn't even there.

"Why?" Rey asks Hux, stepping even closer to him, her dark eyes boring down onto him.

Hux doesn't say anything, just glances back up at her as he works to catch his breath and avoid her intimidating gaze.

"So why are you here?" Hux asks, avoiding her question. "Are you some sort of puppet for him now?"

"You're not answering my question," Rey warns, glancing at Kylo, knowing he has retrieved all of the important information from Hux's mind while she was distracting him.

"Ren's little puppet," he laughs. "He always did have a soft spot for you. You, the scavenger. Guess he achieved his goal and made you his little whore too," Hux adds.

Kylo hears an audible crack followed immediately by a bloodcurdling scream from Hux as Rey snaps his femur bone. He writhes in the chair, his limbs completely restrained from any movement, guttural moans and screams escaping him involuntarily.

"You're..." Hux gasps out, "You're nothing," he gasps again. "Always will be."

"Go ahead and believe what you want," Rey chuckles back as she steps right in front of him to run her fingers lightly down his cheek. "But you're still the one who's afraid of me."

He shakes in response to her touch, his blues eyes large and bloodshot. Before she can react, he contorts his face and spits directly in hers, the warm droplets covering her face.

Rey peels her eyes open, wiping her hand across her face and shaking the moisture off onto the ground before striking him across the cheek with the back of her hand. "That is quite enough," she laughs as she unhinges her lightsaber with a slow and calculated movement. "I was going to allow you a final meal before your execution, but you just earned yourself a priority ticket," she laughs as she ignites the saber, the red hue engulfing the room.

"You'll always be second best to Kylo Ren," Hux growls at her, grimacing through the pain shooting up from his broken bone and Rey blinks from the shock of him repeating the same words Kylo had said to her in the training room. She raises her saber without response and slices it across his neck with a scream of frustration, his body falling slack in the restraints as life leaves his body.

With a click on her belt, she steps around Hux towards Kylo, acknowledging him with an accomplished look and she taps her knuckle on the window of the door to gain the attention of the officer standing guard. The door rushes open again and Rey steps out to look the man in the face. "Deal with him. Make sure he stays hidden though, no need to draw attention," Rey orders and turns the opposite direction before he has an opportunity to respond.

Kylo ducks out the room, following Rey down the hallway, floored by her sudden change, but also a little scared of how quickly she's assimilating now. 

In the elevator back to the floor their living quarters are on, Rey turns to him once the doors slide shut. "Good?" She asks, her darkened eyes laced with a yellow tinge.

"Perfect," Kylo verifies and squeezes her hand but she doesn't respond, just stares at her faint reflection in the elevator in front of her until it opens, the four panels moving outwards in a diamond formation.

The silence is deafening both verbally along with over their force-bond and Kylo anxiously watches her, wondering if he crossed a line today.

He follows her quietly into the entry foyer of the quarters, towards the window, and up the stairs to the left up to the rest of the living space, still wondering what's going on with her as she rushes to get away from him.

"Rey," Kylo breathes out frantically before she can make it to the hallway and she stops in her tracks to look at him.

"Yes?" She sighs, staring him down, the bags under her eyes dark and prominent and her eyes still tinted an unnatural shade.

"Are you okay?" Kylo asks quietly, stepping towards her, his hand outstretched in front of him timidly.

Rey looks down at his hand, her face unreadable as she searches for something to say. "I'm just tired," she lies, keeping her walls up and looking back up at him without taking her hand.

"Would you like me to draw you a bath in the soaker tub?" Kylo reaches down and takes her hand softly in his expecting her to recoil, but she doesn't pull back, just stares at her hand in his. He stares at her curiously, her expression that of helplessness and Kylo wonders just how much damage he did to her today. "Come on, I'll draw a bath," he repeats and pulls her gently with him, Rey seemingly in a trance behind him as she mentally shuts down from exhaustion.

Kylo cups her hand in both of his when they reach the bathroom and he kisses her cheek before releasing them to grab the soap. The sound of the water rushing out of the facet fills the room, and Kylo pours soap in, Rey still standing in the middle of the room, her arms pulled tightly to her.

He quickly turns to the linen closet and digs for a towel for her and a washcloth, slowed down by the maid droid having reorganized it in a way he isn't accustomed to. As he turns he finds Rey shimmying out of her clothes, not phased by his presence.

"Oh I'm sorry," he says startled and turning back around, able to feel his cheeks turning a bright red at the glimpse of her nearly naked body.

Rey doesn't respond to him and Kylo doesn't turn back around even when he hears the water in the partially-filled tub move from her getting in. 

"Ummmm," he mutters as he looks for somewhere to set the towels near the tub without looking at her to be respectful. "I'll just leave these here, I'll be in the sitting room," he says quickly and rushes to the door.

"Ben?" Rey's voice stops him in his tracks and he turns slowly, not sure if he can look at her. The water turns off and he looks at her cautiously, finding her covered by the water in the middle of the large tub with her knees pulled up to her chest. "You can stay," she says quietly, her eyes which have returned to normal captivating him and knocking all words out of his head.

"What do you mean?" He asks, stepping forward, excited that she's letting walls down, yet nervous due to the intimacy of the moment at the same time.

"It's a large tub, you can stay," Rey says as she reaches up to adjust her hair, the water barely covering her chest as her arms rise above her head.

"If you're sure?" He verifies taking another tentative step forward.

Rey nods without audibly saying anything, wrapping her arms back around her knees which barely peek out over the top of the bubble-filled water.

Kylo moves to the end of the soaker tub behind her and undresses, watching her shoulders that are slicked with soapy water rise and fall with her calm breaths. With a tentative step, he slips into the water behind her, his foot brushing against her hip as he extends them in the water around her.

With a content yet still nervous sigh, he leans back against the side of the tub, resting his arms on the side and wondering if they're going to speak or just sit in awkward silence. It isn't going unnoticed to him that they are both naked which is creating a noticeable tension in the air between them.

"Are you okay?" Kylo asks, his eyes following her hairline on the nape of her neck, the thin short hairs not contained by her bun matted to her neck by the water.

"I didn't even recognize myself today," she mumbles, her shoulders shuttering as she leans forward to rest her chin on her knee.

"What do you mean?"

"I-," she pauses and turns her head to look at him over her shoulder, her lower back pressing against his leg lightly as she shifts at an angle. "I felt like you," she says, her eyebrows knitting together as if from confusion. "You're two different people every day. The man I met on Takodana and fought against on Pasana is an entirely different person than the man I fought with on Snoke's destroyer and confided in when I was training on Ahch-To."

Rey looks at up at the ceiling, her eyes reflecting the lights above the sinks and he admires the side profile of her face, her body still mostly turned away from him. "I don't know," she sighs and turns away from him, only to move back a minute later to settle against him, her back pressing against his stomach.

Kylo freezes, unsure of how to react to the intimate contact, both of their bodies exposed and wet skin pressed together. Rey leans her head back, nestling it in the crook of his shoulder right below his collarbone, allowing her eyes to flutter shut.

Aware of his breathing and trying to keep his thoughts calm, Kylo grips the sides of the soaker tub, unsure of what to do and what is acceptable in this situation.

Rey's body relaxes against his and she wraps her arms around herself, turning a touch to lay more comfortably against him and he tentatively lowers his arms under the water to rest on his legs. He leaves her alone, allowing her to sit in silence and relax without him trying to enter her thoughts even though he has to admit he wants to know what's going on in her head. 

Eventually, her head becomes heavy, and he can hear soft snores coming from her, her mouth resting open a touch and eyelashes twitching in her sleep. Gaining confidence in her unconciousness, he lightly wraps his arms around her, being sure to be respectful and rests his cheek on the top of her head, marveling in the natural feeling of her wrapped in his arms.

His thoughts wander, still trying to determine if he crossed a line today and damaged or pushed her too much. Her demonstration of power in the cell with Hux was indeed impressive, but the aftermath of her emotions was concerning.

Once the water has chilled and he knows it is late, Kylo gently nudges her, kissing the top of her head and mumbling into her hair. "Rey," he says quietly and she shifts in his arms. "Let's get you to bed."

Sneaking out behind her, he wraps a towel around his waist before grabbing another towel and setting it on the edge of the tub for her. "I'll go grab clothes for you while you dry off," he says quickly, moving back into the awkward schoolboy act as he escapes the bathroom.

In the bedroom, he slips on his own boxers and lounge pants, before grabbing a camisole and shorts set he noticed she seemed to like and a pair of underwear.

When he returns, he finds Rey sitting on the edge of the tub, holding the towel to her, and staring blankly at the floor, spaced out and barely fighting off sleep. "Here you go sweetheart," he says softly and she takes the clothes from him with a smile.

As she dresses he turns back to the sinks, taking a moment to brush his teeth, and trying to ignore the image of her from the back visible in the mirror over his shoulder. He admires her soft subtle curves, her skin marred by scars, tan lines, and freckles.

He returns to watching himself in the mirror, not looking down at her as she walks up to the other sink and follows suit by brushing her own teeth, her eyes barely staying open.

Once both of their toothbrushes are secured in the holder, he turns to her, aware of how tired she is. "Bedtime," he whispers as he pulls her to him and engulfs her in a hug, her tired body melting into him.

In a fluid motion, he leans down and sweeps her up into his arms, her head finding its place on his bare chest and her arms wrapping around her stomach, sleep trying to take her again.

Placing her gently on the bed, he flips the covers back before laying them over her shoulder as she curls up in the fetal position which he has learned is normal. "Good night," he whispers knowing she's asleep by the small snores once again coming from her, but he leans down to push her hair back and kiss her forehead anyways.

He stands back up and goes to make his way back out to the kitchen to make a mug of tea to help him calm his thoughts before he can sleep but is stopped by her faint voice. "I love you, Ben," she whispers and he stares at her, trying to figure out if she is awake.

"Rey?" He questions and she lifts her head with a sharp breath to look at him in the dim light.

"Yeah?" She mumbles.

"Did you say something?"

She squints and scrunches her eyes together out of confusion, "no?"

"Never mind, I must be hearing things," he assures her and comes back to the side of the bed. "I just got called to the bridge, I'll be back shortly," he lies and gives her a quick kiss before she lays back down, immediately starting to snore again.

He quickly collects a shirt and jacket with his boots before sneaking out of the bedroom, knowing he needs to go to the gym and blow off some steam after the busy day they had, ending with a bath with Rey which just teased him and her admitting she apparently loves him. Closing the doors quietly to the bedroom, he leans forward, resting his forehead on the door as he thinks and tries to catch his breath. 'Are unconscious words, conscious thoughts? Does she love me? And if so, why?'


	6. Exegol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, I base some things off the movie, but at this point, I'm running with my imagination and taking some creative liberties, so not everything is canon anymore, especially the timeline! :)

Rey wakes the next morning, discombobulated, her eyes refusing to focus in the darkened room. With a gentle movement, she shifts in Kylo’s arms before rolling to nuzzle into his chest, receiving a tight hug from him in return.

"Morning," Rey whispers and Kylo tips his head down to kiss the top of hers.

"Morning," he mumbles against her hair.

"Sorry I was such a tired mess, but thank you for taking care of me," Rey whispers a little louder and he squeezes her in response without saying anything.

Rey lays in the quiet for a moment unmoving, unable to read the silent air she's receiving from him and noticing that she's blocked out from their force-bond, unable to know what's rolling through his mind.

"You okay?" She asks in a whisper, spreading her fingers out in his skin.

"I'm fine, " he responds as he separates them a touch, staring down into her eyes in the dim red light, the contours of his face highlighted including that same scar she marred his skin with.

"Okay," she whispers, unconvinced, trailing her fingers down the scar, along his cheek, and down to his chest.

"Stop worrying so much," he whispers and pulls their faces together, kissing her softly a few times.

Rey runs her hand up his chest, around his neck, and up into his hair where she takes a handful of his black locks and doesn't allow him to pull away. Responding to the hint, Kylo wraps her closer, deepening the kiss, and slipping his tongue into her mouth, his skin burning through the thin fabric of her clothes.

A low moan escapes her as he deepens the kiss, and Rey hooks her top leg over his hip, allowing his leg to rest between hers. The fire in her belly grows rapidly as he moves her against his leg and Rey makes a conscious effort to steady her breaths and keep her composure.

With a low hiss, Kylo sucks lightly on her neck as he rolls her onto her back, laying the length of his body between her legs, and lowering himself on top of her. Electric charges shoot up her body from between her legs at the contact despite the fabric between them.

She loses herself in their kiss, feeling the passion and the forgiveness between them from the day previous that put them on edge and created a small divide between them. His desires are clear, playing in both of their minds vividly but she can also feel him fighting it, trying to contain himself and be respectful of her.

Releasing her lips, he trails quick, rough kisses along her jaw, finally settling on the space directly below her ear and sucking again softly, drawing a faint bruise up to the surface of her sensitive skin. "Ben," she gasps as he takes her earlobe into his mouth, nibbling on it softly as his hands press into her sides under her camisole that is pulled up to just below her breasts.

"We don't have to," he mumbles while he continues kisses down her neck, along her collarbone, and to the space between her breasts as she wiggles under him, her fingers pressing into his skin in encouragement. Following her unspoken hints again, he tugs her camisole down a bit, revealing one of her nipples which he quickly takes into his mouth. Rey lets out louder moans and arches her back, twitching with each movement of his tongue on the sensitive skin.

Two loud thuds come from the door ripping away the high they both were on in the presence of each other, the arousal building to release, and Kylo props himself up looking at the door with a grunt of disapproval. "It's the knights," he mumbles and gets up, readjusting his waistband in an attempt to be discrete and opening the door as Rey shifts completely under the covers, her cheeks hot from the interrupted moment.

"Yes?" Kylo mumbles and Rey watches him from behind, his muscles rippling as he ruffles his messy morning hair as he addresses the two figures in the hallway.

"It's Palpatine," one of the men with a mask says, his voice obscured much like Kylos when he has his own mask on.

"What about him?"

"We've been summoned," the other responds, unmoving, just continuing to stoically stand there. "All of us. He knows of her whereabouts."

Rey feels her stomach drop, dread rushing through her entire body at the realization that the emperor knows where she is again. Kylo glances over his shoulder at her, his facial expression unreadable, and then steps out into the hallway to speak with the men in hushed tones, closing the door partway between him.

Straining to hear them, Rey sits up, folding the covers down in front of her and staring at the ceiling as she listens, still unable to understand them.

The door clicks shut and Rey can feel Kylo’s presence fade a little as he surely walks away with the men and she slinks back into the bed on her side, her eyes finding a rip in the curtain to the side and staring at it.

An intense shiver runs up her spine as she thinks about Palpatine, her only family still alive. Growing up, she had heard stories about him, just as she had learned about Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, but being so removed from everything in the desert, they seemed just like stories, no accuracy or truth to them. Obviously now, it's clear that's not the case after she herself found out she was a Jedi and was then trained by Luke Skywalker, the legend himself, to harness her ability and foster her knowledge of the force.

A tear slips out of her eye as she thinks back to meeting Finn, and her escape from Jakku in the Millenium Falcon, barely making it out alive as they weaved in and out of the wreckage of old ships.

"Rey," Kylo’s voice breaks through her trance, startling her and causing her to jump under the covers.

He sits on the bed behind her, the mattress dipping under his weight a touch and she rolls towards him, noticing how he has turned the lights up a touch, allowing her to see him more easily.

"What's going on?" Rey whispers, holding the blankets up to her chin as if she's a scared child.

"We need to go to Exogol," he says calmly, his palms resting on his leg which is tucked under his other leg.

"Why?" Rey asks cautiously, knowing the answer, anticipating his words, and dreading the truth. 

"It's time," he says simply, offering no further explanation, and Rey nods in understanding, casting her eyes down in front of her and gulping back her nerves. "There's one more thing," he mumbles, his hand moving to his pocket and pulling out a small black velvet pouch with red stitching. "I want you to have this," he says a little louder, tipping his head up and looking at her for a second.

"Ben," Rey whispers, scooting closer to him on the bed and taking the little bag from his hands. His eyes are soft, vulnerable, almost desperate and Rey leans forward to give him a kiss quickly before opening it.

Grabbing the thin cords hanging from the neck of the bag, Rey loosens them and tips the bag over to dump the contents into her other hand. A thin gold chain with a single red stone on it rests in her hand, the metal cold on her skin.

"I wanted to give you something special," Kylo explains, reaching to her hands, cupping one on the bottom with his and grabbing the chain with the other. "You gave up a lot to be with me. It was the right choice, but you still gave up a lot, and that doesn’t go unnoticed.”

He motions for her to turn and she spins herself on the bed, sitting pretzel style away from him and collecting her hair in her hands. The chain is cool against her neck, and she looks down at it as Kylo's fingers fumble with the clasp at the back of her neck.

"You are so special to me," Kylo whispers, leaning forward and kissing her neck where her hair is still pulled to the side. Rey leans back into him, allowing him to wrap his arms around her and pull her up against his chest, embracing her wordlessly.

In the silence, Rey gets a clear view of his mind, envisioning a future together, the two of them married, with a potential family, living with their feet firmly planted on the ground somewhere. A memory pops into his head, and she sees herself through his eyes, sleeping. He gets up and walks to the door of the bedroom, leaving her curled up in the bed alone, and then she does something she doesn't remember. She whispers the words, 'I love you, Ben.'

She braces for his reaction and is shocked when it's not negative. Instead, the memory is overrun by joy, happiness, a little confusion, and even love in return and butterflies kick up in her stomach. Rey hadn't thought in great depth about whether she loved him, but she figured it made sense, and her unconscious self apparently thought it was time to say it.

"When are we leaving?" Rey asks, leaning her head against his bicep right by her head.

"Soon," Kylo responds, planting a gentle kiss on the top of her head and squeezing her tight, before releasing her so they can get changed and prepare for the trip.

—

The ship shudders and shakes as Kylo navigates through the twisted outer layers of the atmosphere, the red glow from outside the windows illuminating his features as she scowls out the front windshield of the craft. Rey grips the armrest of her seat behind him, watching the exterior rush past, a gasp escaping her lips as they break through a clearing, revealing foreboding clouds producing constant flashes of lightning that illuminate a fleet of destroyers.

"What is this?" Rey questions, her eyes growing larger and larger as more of the crafts come into view.

"Palpatine built a fleet of destroyers," he mumbles, focusing on navigating the ship to the ground. "Planet killers to be exact. He's already demonstrated his power once."

Rey's eyes flick to Kylo to study the side of his face in shock, trying to decipher which planet had been destroyed. "Kamiji," he adds, reading her thoughts as if she outright asked him.

"No," she gasps, thinking about Zori and Babu who helped them only days before and if they were able to get off.

"Remember your loyalties," Kylo growls, powering the ship down by flipping switches and turning knobs in front of him. "Future Empress..." he adds and Rey feels a tingle run up her spine as goosebumps form on her arms.

Without another word, Kylo stands, clicking his helmet into place with a hiss and a squeal, Rey still seated on the chair watching him. He extends his hand to her roughly and she places hers own gloved hand in his.

Exiting the craft, the Knights trail behind them, forming a pinched triangle so they all have eyes on Kylo and Rey while also being able to watch the surroundings for hazards.

The light cracks and sizzles as it ignites and strikes the ground and the clouds around them, each strike raising the hairs on her arm from the static. Her red-lined black cloak floats behind her, buckling and flipping in gusts of wind, allowing the cool air to reach her skin through her dark combat pants and shirt.

Without warning, Kylo stops in his tracks, the knights following suit, with his saber ignited by his side. Rey follows their lead, folding her own saber out and holding it next to her at an angle as the ground below them lurches before it begins to lower slowly.

Rey looks up at the massive stone statues surrounding the lowering platform, dwarfing the eight of them in size and Kylo grabs her hand again. Quickly looking up at him, trying to mask the fear running through her, he nods at her sharply, a nonverbal way of telling her it's going to be okay.

The three blades of their sabers crackle and snap, the light illuminating the space around them with a faint red light. The platform meets the floor with a low crash and Rey steps off behind Kylo, following him down a narrow corridor that seemed to never end in front of them.

Rey's senses are alert, heightened by the constant feeling of being watched and she can't tell if there are actually figures in the shadows watching her, or if it's the presence of the Knights behind her.

They step over the occasional fissure in the ground, all of which light up with electricity at random and inconsistent patterns, a rush of electrical current breaking through the cool air each time. At the end of the corridor, a throne with large spikes protruding in a half-moon shape over top is silhouetted against the dark backdrop with each flash. She has seen this before, in her vision, particularly the one she had warned Finn of.

A low hum rings out from above them as they exit the corridor into a large, expansive room, revealing thousands of small figures sitting in neat organized rows, their frames concealed by their robes. Rey gulps hard, as she glances back at the Knights who have spread themselves evenly at the entrance to the room but don't continue to follow her and Kylo who steps closer to the throne.

"Long have I waited," a low, sinister voice rings out, echoing impressively through the space.

Kylo motions for her to step up next to him as she turns to the source of the sound, a small figure suspended from a contraption that disappears up into the dark. Her still ignited saber crackles next to her, and she grips it tighter, looking up at Kylo who stands still next to her.

"My grandchild has come home," the man adds, and motions towards her with a hand covered with skin that looks as though it is decaying. "Come here child," he coaxes and Rey gulps again as Kylo sets his hand on her back, and nudges her forward, taking a knee and removing his helmet himself.

Studying Palpatine’s face as she walks, her memory replays the scenes from Snoke's throne room, Kylo on his knee as he presented her to his master.

"I never wanted you dead," Palpatine muses, his rotted teeth showing as he speaks, his grey skin pulling tight on his bones across his hollow face. "I wanted you here, Empress Palpatine," he nearly purrs, his face curling into a wicked smile, his eyes boring down on her from his elevated stance at the end of the mechanical arm.

A shiver shoots up Rey's spine and she reaches out mentally for Kylo, finding him in their connection, his presence immediately comforting her. Clenching her shoulders back further, she steps forward, her face tensing into that of concentration, and she stares Palpatine down.

"You will take the throne, it is in your birthright to do so, and you will be the greatest ruler the galaxy has seen," his voice echoes across the space and Rey stops in her tracks, only a few steps from him. "But my apprentice, he drags you down," he lowers his voice a little, focusing on Kylo over Rey's shoulder.

Rey's eyes shoot up to Palpatine's, recognizing that the tone present in his voice threatens the safety of Kylo. Footsteps draw her attention as guards dressed in all red, resembling those that guarded Snoke, find their positions flanking Palpatine, and the Knights take a few steps forward behind her, bringing their own weapons to the ready.

"He will rule with me," Rey says confidently, bringing Palpatine’s attention back to her and away from the guards preparing for battle. "While I continue the Palpatine legacy, he will continue that of his grandfather, Darth Vader."

Palpatine smiles again, his eyes moving from Rey, then to Kylo, then back to Rey. "Compassion can be a dangerous thing to get wrapped up with, pulls you from your purpose, and clouds your judgement."

"It will not, it will only fuel my power," Rey says with conviction, her own voice startling her as it reverberates against the jagged stone surroundings.

"In my right mind, I should have the distraction disposed of, at the mercy of your own saber," his shadow framed eyes flick down to the red blades still cracking and rippling next to her, her hand continuing to tighten on the metal hilt, recognizing the danger Kylo seems to be in, in Palpatine's presence. "But alas, a Dyad, cannot so easily be broken," he purrs, pushing himself closer to Rey using the extension of the machine above him. Rey's stomach drops and she reaches Kylo again mentally, their secret they had hoped he was unaware of broadcasted to the thousands in attendance.

"Kylo Ren. Step forward," Palpatine orders, and Rey can hear the sounds of his boots as he stands again and takes a few steps to stand next to her.

Rey glances up at Kylo, who stares straight ahead at Palpatine, his structured face flashing in the lightning from the side and the red hue of both of their sabers reflecting in his eyes.

"The time has come!" Palpatine roars and the sound of the thousands in attendance falling to their knees rumbles through the room as their voices ring out in a cohesive chant. "With your anger, you will take my life, and you will ascend. As I did when I killed my master, Darth Plagueis," he grins, his eyes huge from the passion and excitement rippling through him.

"But first, you must battle, prove to me which one of you is truly worthy by taking the life of the other," Palpatine adds and Rey reaches out for Kylo but he isn't present in their force connection. The feeling of being trapped, played, and having the wool pulled over her eyes enters her mind and she wonders if Kylo really was only using her as a pawn. "Begin," Palpatine growls and Kylo turns without warning, striking his saber down on her which she blocks with ease and unhooks her cape which will surely weigh her down.

Only inches away, Kylo's eyes lock with hers and she raises her eyebrow at him in question, attempting to read his intentions despite him keeping her out and effectively Palpatine as well. He pushes off of her and she spins quickly, her saber cracking into his and propelling her next move as she observes the tight circle of the 6 knights and the 6 guards in red around them, their faces all obscured by masks.

She allows the memory of their many fights before to fuel her emotions and her movements, as she falls back into the familiar dance with him. "Stop playing with each other," Palpatine growls, growing impatient as Kylo and Rey lock eyes again.

With a sudden lunge, Kylo swipes at Rey which she avoids by jumping backward, forcing a break in the line of red-clad guards and creating a space for her to gain access to Palpatine again. Losing her footing, she stumbles allowing Kylo the advantage which he takes, locking his saber against hers, giving the impression of her being immobilized.

His hair is matted to his forehead, and his chest rises and falls with his breaths rapidly, his eyes searching hers as they catch their breath for a moment. "Do it," Palpatine orders Kylo, observing Rey in the vulnerable position and seeing her as weak and therefore unworthy of the throne.

"A dyad is not easily broken," Rey whispers, a smile forming slightly on Kylo's mouth and eyes and she spins, narrowly missing his stomach with his saber and swiping behind her. A guttural groan breaks through the air and the smell of burning flesh fills her nose, as the life force that was Palpatine fades from existence in the room.

The guards in response step forward to attack, stopped in their tracks by the Knights who have taken a protective stance around Rey and Kylo, despite Rey not hearing them move. Their weapons collide in the air as the guards advance, one of the red-clad men dropping to the ground immediately at the hands of a Knight.

"Enough," Kylo commands, his voice echoing through the space, stilling the thousands of sith loyalists who are in an uproar at the change of events. "Your empress," he announces, reaching his hand out for her to take. "Empress Palpatine," his smile grows as her hand clings around his and he leads her to the throne.

Rey steps up in front of it, observing the cracked stone that is weathered from the elements and time while she reconnects her cloak around her. "And the supreme leader," Rey announces as she turns, her face angling up to look at Kylo, then addressing the crowd. "Kylo Ren."

The chants of the loyalists intensify as they lean forward to take a knee again, their eyes closed and heads bowed. Rey can feel the darkness rippling through her, her blood boiling from the life she just took giving her untamed power.

Kylo pulls her to the throne with him as the knights take their positions next to the throne, stepping over the bodies of the red guards they have since dismembered and left in heaps on the floor like Palpatine. She waits for him to find a comfortable spot on the throne before taking her own spot next to him on the slightly elevated armrest and crossing her legs over each other.

The chanting of the thousands of hooded figures intensifies, a dark harmony almost present in their tone as they speak in sith, quickly transferring their loyalties over to the new leaders without question. Rey observes the room, her nerves calming and a smile forming on her lips as the words ‘Empress Palpatine’ all cross their lips, solidifying her new reality and her destiny.

\--

He drums his fingers on the table, the feeling of anxiety rising quickly within him although he isn't sure what is causing it. Something doesn't feel right but there are no signs that show him why exactly he is feeling that way, so he tries to push it away.

"What's with you?" Poe asks, placing his hand on Finn's to get him to stop with the constant annoying sound as he tries to work.

"Something isn't right," Finn mumbles and Poe turns his chair to look at him better.

"In regards to what?"

Finn doesn't say anything, just leans forward on his own chair, resting his elbows on his knees and staring at the floor. "It's Rey," he whispers. "Something isn't right."

"Something hasn't been right for days with her. They turned her into one of them," Poe says, his tone changing to that of annoyance at the mention of the traitor again and he turns back to the table.

Finn doesn't respond to Poe, just allows him to return to his work knowing he doesn’t care to get her back as his attitude towards her has quickly changed to anger. Finn leans back in the chair again, and closes his eyes, attempting to see if he can access Rey through the force without tipping Poe off. In the past, he had learned he was able to sense her at times, her presence was always strong when she was near, but even other times, such as when she was with Luke training, he was able to sense her faintly, just not locate her.

Pushing further, he searches for her but loses hope as he pushes harder than he has ever needed to, and is unable to find her, just a dark, empty hole where she previously was.

"You need to hear this," Rose snaps as she rushes into the room behind Leia, whose face is paler than normal and pulled into concern.

Rose tinkers with the radio on the side, flipping the dial around, the needle moving frantically as she listens for the right frequency. "Here," she says as the audio becomes clear again, and Leia takes a heavy seat at the end of the table opposite Finn and rests her chin on her hand.

A low chanting rings out, filling the room with what sounds like hundreds of voices speaking in unison. "It's the ancient language of the sith, and as we know, I am forbidden to translate it," C3PO explains from his place behind Leia and Poe waves his hand at him to shut him up as always.

The chanting continues until two words are able to be understood, piquing their interest. "Empress Palpatine?" Poe asks, understanding the two words and looking down at Leia who takes a deep breath.

"Rey," Finn whispers, recognizing the darkness he encountered when trying to locate her wasn't due to her absence, but instead it was her.

"The galaxy has a new empress," Leia says calmly. "And we need to do something about it."


	7. Meditation

Rushing down the dim hallway, Finn looks quickly over his shoulder to be sure he isn’t being followed by anyone before he ducks into the storage unit he had put Rey’s box in. When they evacuated the base on Ajan Kloss, Rose had run upstairs and packed all of Rey’s items up and loaded them into the Falcon for him while he and Poe had completed their sweep of the building shortly before Rey and Ren showed up. After arriving at this new base, he had quickly stashed them away in storage where he was sure Poe wouldn’t find them. 

Rey’s betrayal is being handled by Finn and Poe in two very different ways. On one side, Poe is angry, writing Rey off and refusing to engage in conversations with Finn about her. It’s obvious that Poe is hurt by Rey's turn, but he wouldn’t humble himself enough to actually admit that out loud to anyone. Meanwhile, Finn has been spending countless hours thinking about and problem-solving ideas of how to find Rey, and bring her back. 

The box opens with a click, the hinge releasing stubbornly, and he peals the lid open, releasing Rey’s scent that he had come to be so comforted by. The box is filled by her extra clothes, a few books he recognized as Jedi texts, and the pieces of her lightsaber she had spent countless hours building. Shifting it back and forth in his hands, he feels the weight of it and the coolness of the black metal. 

Setting it to the side, he shifts how he’s sitting from his knees to rest back on his butt, crossing his legs in front of him. On a few occasions, he had witnessed Rey meditating, both on her own time and during training sessions with Leia. Her posture was always straight, with her hands resting lightly on her legs and Finn mimics her posture the best that he can remember. 

The silence in the room is deafening, a distant hum from a ship in the hangar powering up and taking off audible through the walls. Blindly moving into meditation is confusing to him and he doesn’t know how to progress and how to do it properly. Surely there is a right and wrong way? 

After many extended moments of silence, he feels a shift, and movement into another space mentally as images faintly flick across his mind. At first their faint, but they slowly build in intensity before he’s seeing them in clear detail as if he’s back in those moments. A small boy, ripped from his family's grasp, from parents who are faceless, his mind unable to recall them after the years of brainwashing from the first order. The screams of his mother crying out as she is held back by other troopers fill his ears, forming a visible grimace on his face as he relives the pain. The scene from the Barracks, his first nights there, crying himself to sleep in the fetal position, leading into constant days of grueling training and abuse from the generals. 

The light darkens around him, the walls seem to close in, until he feels as though he’s trapped and might suffocate until the walls break apart, seemingly shattering in every direction, but not leaving any signs of shrapnel or debris. Light flashes around him, discombobulating him as he regains his bearings. Ahead of him is a large object comprised of thick spikes and he steps towards it cautiously. A flash lights it up, revealing a throne, with a figure on it, but he is unable to tell who or what it is. 

He feels as though he’s in a dream as he steps forward again, his limbs feeling as though they’re floating out from his sides and his feet aren’t touching the ground. Another flash illuminates the figure and the singular figure appears, the face of Kylo Ren staring back at him, then going dark again. With the next flash, Rey’s face is illuminated, or at least a version of Rey’s face. Her hair is styled differently, she wears dark makeup making her eyes look like sunken holes, and her lips are darker. 

“Rey?” Finn utters as another flash changes the face back to Kylos and he stumbles back in shock, his vision going black before he comes to with a jolt in the storage room. 

Finn spreads his fingers out in front of him, verifying that he’s awake, and swipes the sweat off his forehead quickly with his other hand. Picking the unfinished saber up, he shoves it into his bag along with the book she had been using for direction and stashes the rest of her belonging back in their hiding place. 

—

The air is cold and Kylos breath creates a cloud in front of him as he breathes out and shifts under his heavy coat, trying to stay warm. After leaving Exegol, they had received word that there were a few members of Palpatine’s inner circle that weren’t willing to cooperate with the new Empress and Supreme Leader. Leaving the knights to deal with those unsupportive individuals, Kylo whisked her away to a secret hideout he kept and occasionally visited when he needed time alone, not telling anyone of their whereabouts. 

Rey hovers a few inches above a large stone in the back woods behind the house, her cheeks are pink from the cold since she discarded her heavy cloak to the side, commenting about how it was in the way. 

Beautiful doesn’t even begin to explain how Kylo feels about her as he watches her with her eyes shut, her eyebrows up and her lips parted as she focuses. Her round soft face is framed by soft tendrils of hair that have escaped the elastic hair ties as always and Kylo resists the urge to walk over there and brush them back. 

Feeling this way is foreign to him, and while his natural reaction is to push it away, more intimate moments such as this keep him wanting to allow her to break walls down.

Kylo leans against a tree, crossing one leg over the other and watching her with intrigue, enraptured by the new version of the woman who had flipped his world upside down from the moment he met her. Her brow furrows a little and he can see her eyes twitching under her eyelids as if she is deep in sleep and dreaming. 

With slow and steady steps so he doesn’t disrupt her, he steps towards her, shoving his hands into his pockets, still studying her face but avoiding going into her mind and breaching that trust he has been so desperately trying to build back up. 

“Finn,” Rey gasps, her eyes flying open and her body dropping the few inches back to the stone. The whites of her eyes bloodshot, and the natural hazel color is darkened again, but quickly lightening back up as she regains her breath. 

“What?” Kylo asks, holding her cloak out for her to wrap back up into and secure around her small frame. 

After clasping it in front of her, she reaches up, pulling the hood up to frame her face, the small tendrils of hair still sticking out.

“Finn,” Rey repeats. “I saw him.” 

“The traitor?” Kylo verifies. “FN-2187?” 

“Yes,” she responds, tugging her gloves on and then reaching to take his hand. Wrapping her hand inside his, he shoves both of their hands into his pocket in order to keep them warm but keep the physical touch between them. “I saw him clear as day, he was meditating, accessing the force.” 

“The trooper? Force sensitive?” Kylo chuckles and shakes his head in disbelief. “I would have picked up on it if that were the case.” 

“But how?” Rey challenges, looking up at him as they walk up the stone stairs leading to the back of the house.

“I just would have,” Kylo shrugs, annoyed that she’s calling his bluff and making him look dumb. 

“I think that’s what he was trying to tell me,” Rey mumbles, oblivious to his tone and stuck in her own thoughts. “He was so adamant about needing to tell me something but never got the chance. I could feel his presence, stronger than the others, it would all make sense if that’s the case.” 

“So why do you think you saw him?” Kylo holds the door open for her and she smiles as she walks past, trying to think through all the scenarios, but only one makes sense. 

“I think he’s trying to reach me,” she explains as she slips her cloak off which Kylo takes and hangs up before removing his own heavy overcoat. Rey pads over to the kitchen and reaches up to grab a ceramic mug to make tea and Kylo takes a seat at the kitchen chair, crossing his arms across his chest and toying with the thoughts in his head as he watches her butt in her tight pants while she works. 

“I think we should get married,” he blurts out before he has a chance to stop himself and Rey turns slowly, her eyes the size of saucers and her mouth hanging open. 

“I beg your pardon?” She musters out in her shock. 

“I mean,” Kylo mumbles as he regains his composure and pretends he didn’t just say that. “We should think about it.” 

“Is this your twisted idea of what a proposal should be?” Rey asks, her tone almost sour. Kylo drops his eyes out of embarrassment, a hint of anger towards her rising as she takes a confrontational stance with him. 

“Well no,” he says in response, a bite to his tone.

“You’re ridiculous,” Rey mumbles with an eye roll and turns back to the kettle that is now filled and resting on the stovetop. 

Kylo doesn’t say anything in response to her, just stands up abruptly from the counter, the stool flying back and toppling onto the floor behind him. His boots thud on the floor as he makes his way to the stairs, following the bend up to the second floor and slamming the door shut in their bedroom. 

— 

Crossing her arms across her chest and staring at the teapot, Rey tries to ignore her rising anger towards Kylo while she waits impatiently for the water to boil and fights back shivers from being so chilled. Kylo’s outburst was random and unappreciated and she had no intention of following him or trying to fix it until he came back to do so himself. 

His proposition had been poorly timed and inappropriate for the situation. Having only been with him for just short of a week, and her now being preoccupied with the run-in with Finn during her meditation, the idea of marriage was the furthest thing from her brain. 

Then again, there is the reality she is aware of that maybe he doesn’t understand how to read when a moment is inappropriate to bring something like that up. Overall, she had seen signs that maybe he simply doesn’t know how to be with anyone else. In his life, there hadn’t been many glowing examples of proper behavior in any of those aspects, so surely she couldn’t hold that against him. 

Rey forces her mind off of Kylo and focuses her attention back on Finn. In the time at the base with him, she had picked up on how his presence was different than others. His presence was actually comparable to that of Leia, much fainter than her presence, but still there and still detectable to Rey. 

Would Leia train Finn? Would he learn to harness his own powers and come to find her? It’s clear he’s actively looking for her already, but what are his intentions? Does he want to bring her back, or does he want her dead? Both scenarios she knows put him in danger because she knows she’ll need to prove where her loyalties lie if the decision comes down to Finn or Kylo. 

The small black droid that reminds her of BB8 speeds across the room, beeping frantically and she watches it as it inspects the puddle of water dripping off her snowy cloak hanging on the wall. It rolls through the puddle, leaving a trail of water getting into the cracks on the surface of his metal. 

“BB-D5 stop it,” Rey groans, annoyed at the black droids' perkiness while she’s trying to think. 

The droids head whips to look at her and it stops rolling around, teetering back and forth as it beeps frantically at her in protest. 

“Yes, I know.” Rey sits back, as she listens to the droid. “Go get the maid droid then. I don’t know why I have to do everything for you.” 

The droid speeds off down the hallway away from her, the beeping fading with the sound of it rolling on the hard ground, leaving her in silence again, her thoughts retaking their spots in her mind to torment her. With a groan, Rey leans forward onto the counter, resting her head on her arms and taking a few deep breaths to calm herself again. 

The house is quiet, void of any noise from Kylo or D5 throwing his tantrum, and she feels lost in the empty halls. Out of stubbornness, Rey finds activities to keep herself busy, prolonging her quickly approaching self-imposed bedtime as the sun dips below the trees, and she can feel her eyelids getting heavy. 

By the time she ascends the stairs, she is convinced that Kylo must be asleep already due to the lack of noise she had heard over the last couple of hours. The floorboard creaks on the stairs and she lightens her steps to lessen the noise and to hopefully not announce her presence. 

As she reaches the top of the stairs, she feels him enter her mind, immediately revealing that he is awake. “Shit,” she whispers under breath, able to feel Kylo’s own distaste at her presence coming towards their bedroom. 

He sits on a chair on the side of the room, facing the bed, the sheets pulled back but still crisp proving that he hadn’t gotten into bed yet. Rey notices how insanely creepy it seems that he’s been sitting there like that without moving, but elects to not say anything to him. 

Digging through a bag of clothes, she can feel Kylo’s eyes on her and can hear his fingers drumming on the armrest. ‘What?’ She asks silently through the force, catching him off guard and throwing him off for a second. 

He doesn’t respond and the silence grinds at her as she questions what his problem is and why the energy he’s giving off is so angry. “Kylo, what is -” she turns but is stopped by his large frame directly in her line of sight and she stares at his chest, trying to figure out how she didn’t hear him moving and trying to calm her breath. 

“You can’t speak to me like that,” he mutters, his voice low and sinister. 

“Like what?” Rey challenges as she takes a step back and crosses her arms, his face coming back into view. 

“You treated me like an idiot down there.”

“So what, you sat and sulked for hours waiting for me to come to talk to you?”

“You didn't show me respect,” Kylo says, ignoring her argument. 

“You come out of nowhere and told me we should get married and now you expect me to react as if that’s entirely normal?” Rey throws her hands up with an exasperated huff and turns back to her clothes she has collected to change into to sleep. 

“It would make sense and make things easier.” Kylo's stance is confrontational, his eyebrows furrowed, and his hands clenched by his sides. 

“Make things easier?” Rey yells. “Easier? You want to marry me because it makes things easy?” She runs her hands up her face and into her hair, pulling out of frustration and releases her hair around her shoulders. “I get that you don’t understand what a healthy relationship is because you were never really around one, but damn Kylo, this isn’t how you do it.”

Kylo ducks his head a touch, adverting his eyes away from her, hurt from his tainted past being brought up again flashing across his face. 

“Look, I’m sorry, but I want to marry someone who loves me, not someone who wants to marry me for the title.” Rey lowers her voice a little and takes a step towards him but he shifts his shoulders up and steps back, locking his eyes with hers in a challenge. “Seriously? We’re going to play games?” 

“Don’t raise your tone with me,” he says flatly.

“Do you not understand how a relationship works Kylo? I don’t just bow down to you.” Rey crosses her arms in front of her, cocking her head at him in disbelief and challenge. “I mean, I’m the Empress of the Galaxy, and you’re going to look at me and tell me how to speak to you?”

“You’re nothing without me,” Kylo growls, attempting to revert Rey back to their conversations before. 

“No,” Rey chuckles and steps forward again, stopping right in front of him so he has to look down at her, his lips pouting out a touch from the strained position. “You’re nothing without me,” she whispers, overemphasizing the word me ‘me.’ “Without me, you’d be of no use to Palpatine. He would have never made you Emperor and you know that.”

“He ordered you dead.” Kylo’s eyes bore down at her and she looks back up at him with matched intensity. 

“You’re the only one he knew could get to me. He knew you were my weakness, that I cared for you and that I would do anything to bring you back.” Rey pauses, holding a steady gaze on his eyes that flick back and forth between hers, his face unclenching a touch. “You really don’t think he was using you to get rid of me and then he was going to get rid of you too?”

“Enough,” Kylo whispers, his shoulders slumping forward and he takes a couple of steps back to sit on the chair again. 

Rey watches him as he sits again, resting his arms on his knees in front of him and lets out a deep breath. “I don’t want to fight with you,” Rey whispers and he looks up at her, flipping his unruly hair back and out of his face. 

“That’s what we do Rey, we fight.” A smile almost pulls at his lips as his mind races back to all of their verbal arguments and standoffs, along with their physical saber battles. “From the beginning, that’s exactly what we’ve done,” he reiterates, his voice dropping to that of a whisper.

“Not all the time though, what about in Snoke’s throne room? The power we harnessed at that moment as we fed off of each other was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. You can’t tell me you didn’t feel that.” Rey squats down in front of him, stabilizing herself by grabbing his hands and looking up into his slanted eyes which stare down his broad nose cautiously. “We’re meant to be together Ben, we have been from the very beginning.”

“Ben is dead,” Kylo mumbles, staring at the space between his feet. 

“Okay,” Rey whispers, pushing his hair back off his forehead and tipping his face up to look at her. “When the time is right, we’ll marry, okay?” 

Kylo stares into her eyes, noticing how they are darker along the outside of the iris and lighten as you get closer to the pupil. “Okay,” he nods, causing his hair to flip back down over his forehead and Rey reaches up to push it out of the way again. 

“Okay,” Rey whispers softly, trying to read his guarded expression and leaning forward to give him a quick kiss. Before she can pull back, he wraps his hand up and around the back of her neck, holding her face to his. A rush of air blows across her cheek as he breathes out, deepening the kiss and pulling her lips further into his own. 

“We should get some sleep,” Rey mutters against his lips, pulling away a touch and feeling his resistance to letting her go. 

“Okay,” he concedes with a tone of defeat present as releases her, her warmth immediately escaping him and he stands up to crawl into bed behind her.


	8. Vision

*Two Month time Jump*

While the Knights worked to deal with those who were perceived as a threat to Rey and Kylo in their new reign, they continued to keep their whereabouts concealed and lived in isolation on the Planet of Argent, a small planet with only a few natives. The natives rarely bothered them and were blissfully unaware of the identity of the couple who lived up in the hills away from the small town at the base of the hills. 

Kylo had told her about his many stays here, how it became his hideout after his turn to the Dark Side which allowed him to enter a deep state of meditation and self-discovery. Now in their new found residence there, Rey had found the silence and the loneliness to be almost comforting. 

The air is cool, but slowly becoming warmer the higher the sun gets into the air. She was sure when she was walking to keep close to the fissures in the ground that radiated heat from below. The likeness of the planet reminded her of Star Killer Base except under the surface isn’t a labyrinth of hallways and hangers for the First Order, but instead, a churning core of lava heating the planet from the inside out, yet covered by snow on the exterior year-round. 

At this time of the morning, Rey has become used to being the only lifeform present for miles in the thick woods surrounding the home that Kylo had taken as his own years ago. The natives to the planet didn’t venture into the woods often as they believed they were cursed due to a well-known legend within their culture, leaving the overgrown paths and trails empty for her. Every morning, before while Kylo trained, polishing his skills with his saber, and working to build his muscle mass and stamina, Rey would excuse herself and go for walk. 

In the silence and the solitude, she was able to really dig deep and begin her own journey at discovering her power within the Dark Side. In the two months of studying, meditation, and training, Rey had already discovered that her skills were evolving to the level of Kylo’s, matching his power within their Dyad connection. 

Her skills were also evolving differently than Kylo’s, but she was learning quickly that difference allowed them to work well together. While he possesses sheer strength behind his blows, and power behind his use of the force, Rey is quick on her feet, able to anticipate the move of her opponent and beat them to the punch. 

The snow squeaks under her boots as she walks, a thin dusting of snow covering everything again after a small storm came through overnight while they were sleeping. A stick cracking behind her causes the hair on the back of her neck to stand up and she turns quickly, her eyes scanning the thick brush for a potential threat.

With a chuckle at how jumpy she is, she turns back the direction she was walking, allowing herself to fall back into her thoughts, blocking out her surroundings again. A few steps down the path, she hears a louder crack, even nearer to herself, and she reaches for her saber, igniting it as she turns around and takes a defensive stance, the saber crackling next to her face. As she scans the brush again, her vision goes black much like it did when she had found the saber in the lower level of Maz’s castle. 

A girl stands in front of her, her brown hair pulled back into a tight braid formation on the top and back of her head. Her shoulders are narrow, and her visible cheek is soft, reminding Rey of herself, and she wonders if she is actually seeing herself. In an attempt to see her better, Rey takes a step to her side, but the girl turns, keeping her back to her, still completely obscuring her face. 

The girl reaches to her side, pulling out a black lightsaber hilt, a small light flipping green, then blue as she runs her fingers across the gear, spinning it and igniting the saber, a yellow hue illuminating herself and another figure walking towards her. The second figure is familiar, the gait sharp, the shoulders broad, and posture rigid as they approach the girl, the yellow hue igniting his face and revealing Kylo. 

Kylo stares the girl down, his expression a mixture of so many emotions, the most notable that of sadness as he cautiously studies her, waiting for her next move. With a step to the side, he takes his stance, igniting his red saber next to him, and further igniting his own face, revealing dark circles under his eyes and deep wrinkles marring his skin. 

The girl spins quickly, her face still not visible to Rey much like in a dream, but she assumes the faceless girl is herself by the fact that she possesses the lightsaber Rey left unfished at the resistance base. Her movements are quick, calculated, and powerful as she strikes at Kylo, causing him to step back at each strike, struggling to keep up with her in what looks like his own failing health and stamina. 

Rey’s curiosity is peaked by the difference in the two figures, Kylo is older, his movements slower and more labored, but the girl is young and easily outfighting him. He catches her yellow blade on his, moving it to the guard blades, their shoulders almost touching, and a grimace forming on his face as he looks into her eyes almost pleading her to relent. 

Rey takes a step forward, watching the two figures and noticing that the girl holds the saber different than Rey does, heightening her suspicions that this isn’t her fighting Kylo. But if it’s not her, then who is it, and why does she have Rey’s saber?

With a sudden movement, the girl drops her saber, squatting quickly to avoid Kylo’s own attack, grabbing her saber in a backhand formation and penetrating it into Kylo’s chest. His eyes bulge as he wraps his hands around hers which is holding the black saber hilt and his own red saber disengages, falling at their feet. 

The girl lets out an audible gasp and disengages her own saber at the realization of what she just did as Kylo reaches up with his remaining strength and pushes a strand of hair off her forehead before crumpling to the ground. The girl helps him down the best she can and lays across him, a sob escaping her as she cries into his lifeless body. 

Rey feels her breakfast rising as she frantically steps backward, her head spinning, and vision blurring as she realizes she just witnessed Kylo’s death at what she assumes is her own hand. She falls backward, the ground soft but not covered by snow, and she picks up a handful of sand that falls between her fingers and back into the darkness forming below her. 

A scream escapes her lips as she fights back tears, her vision blurring more until she reopens her eyes, finding herself back in the snowy woods. She gasps for air, her chest rising and falling frantically as she tries to regain her composure, her cheeks slick with tears. 

A low hum fills her ears, and she looks up through the bare trees above her, spotting a black transport ship moving slowly and in the direction of the house. 

“Ben,” Rey whispers, worried about Kylo and his whereabouts, and gets up from the ground quickly, stumbling slightly before breaking into a sprint back down the trails towards the house. 

Unhooking her cloak from around her neck, she allows it to fall behind her, leaving the dark thick fabric in the snow in a heap. Kylo isn’t on the back balcony where he was when she left, heightening her panic despite his presence visible to her in the force. 

Rey skips every other step as she runs up the stairs, sprinting across the empty balcony, and bursting through the back door, letting it slam against the wall and startling Kylo who stands at the counter preparing his own breakfast. 

“Rey, what the f…” Kylo starts as Rey jumps into him, wrapping her arms tightly around him, and burying her face in his neck. She doesn’t respond, just keeps holding him tightly as she works to slow her breath, and he wraps his arms around her in response and lowers her to the ground.

“What’s going on?” He whispers as her feet meet the ground and she releases him a little so she can look at him. 

“Nothing,” she lies as she pushes a chunk of hair off his forehead, and runs her fingers down his scar as has become her habit. 

The more she thinks about it, the more she understands how her vision might come across to Kylo. He already questions her loyalties, how will he react to her telling him that she just had a vision of who she still thinks is herself fighting him and eventually killing him? Even worse, how would he react to her telling him that she apparently returns to the Light Side, effectively turning her back on him again? She can’t do it, and she knows it. 

“You sure?” Kylo questions, his eyebrow quirking up in curiosity as he studies her face which is flushed from running and being out in the cold. 

“Yeah,” Rey breathes out in a whisper. “I had an idea.”

“Oh?” Kylo releases her and moves back to the hot pot on the stovetop containing his breakfast, but keeping his body turned towards her slightly. 

“Yeah,” she fumbles, twisting her hands in front of her and stepping towards him. He looks over at her again, his confused look intensifying as he tries to push into her head and waits for her to speak. “We should get married,” Rey blurts out and his eyes bulge out. 

“What?” 

“Uh yeah,” she says quickly. “I know, a while ago, I said no, but like, I think it’s time.”

“What caused this sudden change?” Kylo asks hesitantly, unsure of her sudden change in demeanor. 

Rey bites her lip as she looks up at him, studying him as she formulates another lie, knowing she can’t tell him it’s to prove her loyalty and make up for the vision she is now hiding from him. “It makes sense. I need an emperor by my side, and I want that to be you.”

“You told me that’s not how that works,” Kylo retorts and leans up against the counter, crossing his arms in front of himself. 

“I know, I know.” Rey steps towards him and wraps her arms around his midsection, her breath shaky from what she’s about to say. “I love you Kylo, I want to continue to be with you, just more officially. I want to rule with you.” 

“You’re sure?” Kylo asks, wrapping his arms around her in return and pulling her up against him.

“Yes,” she says in a whisper. 

“Okay,” he whispers in return and leans forward to kiss her, pulling her the rest of the way up against him. Rey melts into his embrace, ignoring his lack of returned verbal affection, but allowing his physical affection to take the place of it. 

A loud thud on the door breaks through the silence of the house and Kylo moves immediately, pulling his saber to him from the table by the window and rounding the corner to look at the door. 

“Damn it,” Kylo whispers as he disengages his saber and clicks it onto his belt. “It’s the Knights.”

“How did they find you?”

“Vicrul knows of this place. He’s been here with me before.”

“Ah,” Rey acknowledges as she stops walking and watches Kylo lug the door open, revealing the six masked figures standing outside, waiting patiently for the door to open.

“Yes?” Kylo asks, an exasperated tone present in his voice. 

“It’s time,” the man in front says, his voice deep. 

“Okay,” Kylo agrees and pinches his shoulders back in the presence of the Knights. “You’ll follow us. Give us time to pack and load our ship.”

The knight in front nods and Kylo closes the door, not allowing the men to come in. Rey watches through the front window from behind the curtains as the six figures become smaller again, most likely returning to their ship. 

“Come,” Kylo snaps, going back into his business mode that she detests. 

“Where are we going?”

“Home.”

“The destroyer?” 

“Temporarily yes, but we will be taking residence on Cantonica for a time. The First Order loyalists have ensured all ties to the resistance be severed and they have provided comfortable living quarters for us during our visits.”

Rey follows him as she wraps her head around what is going on, and why they are suddenly leaving to go back into civilization, even if it is on the Destroyer. She also questions how he’s so aware of all of this. Has he been communicating with the Knights about arrangements behind her back and not including her in the decisions?

It takes hardly any time for her to gather her few clothes she has on this planet and locate BB-D9 for their departure. The little droid follows behind them curiously as they make their descent down to the hidden hanger that opens out of the side of the hill the house is located on. A pit is present in her stomach because this planet has acted as one of her most comfortable homes, and the thought of potentially not returning upsets her. Thankfully, Kylo had sensed how the addition of the BB unit into her life had filled a hole that was left by her betrayal to the resistance and he had allowed her to bring D9 with her as her own personal droid. 

The interior of the ship lights up again as they walk up the ramp into the cockpit, leaving their bags on the floor behind their chairs. Rey sits behind Kylo again, looking over his shoulder as he flips the switches of the control panel, the hanger door hinging opening to allow them out. The coldness of the ship is unwelcome after to her after becoming accustomed to the more comfortable amenities present in the house.

Kylo lifts the ship off the floor of the hanger with a jolt that makes her stomach drop, and he eases it out of the opening, beginning their ascent into the sky as the transport she saw shortly before in the forest falls in behind them. Rey leans forward, looking back down at the fading planet, wondering if she will ever return to this place, or if it will just become a distant memory like the many places she has called her home up to this point.


	9. Home

The door rushes open to the sides in a diamond formation, and Rey allows Kylo to lead the way into the quarters. After their rushed departure to Exogol two months prior, they hadn't been able to take many items and have left the living spaces in a general lived in messiness. Much to Rey's surprise, the quarters have been cleaned, and everything has been returned to its original place, leaving it spotless.

"Welcome home," Kylo says in a slightly lighter tone than normal, trying to appease Rey who has been on edge since leaving Argent this morning.

"Yeah, home," Rey echoes in an unreadable tone and unhooks her cloak from her neck, throwing it across a chair.

"Hey," Kylo reaches out and grabs her hand. "What's wrong?"

Rey looks up at him, the feeling of being cornered prompting her to look for an out. "Nothing, just that Argent felt more like home than this does."

"This will be eventually." Kylo pulls her closer to him, pushing a strand of hair back behind her ear before trailing his fingers down her jaw and tipping her chin up to look at him. "Soon our feet will be planted on land again and I've been arranging for only the best provisions for you."

"How much have you been planning behind my back?"

"What do you mean?"

"How often did you communicate with people off the planet without my knowledge during our stay?"

"Why does it matter?" Kylo sighs and rakes his hands through his hair as he backs up to lean against the back of the couch with Rey standing in front of him, her composure slowly hardening the longer he avoids answering her direct question.

"How are we supposed to act as a team if you can't even communicate and involve me in big decisions? You came to an agreement with the government heads of an entire planet regarding operations that are half my own and you didn't even mention it to me."

"I was allowing you time to have space."

"What does that even mean?" Rey crosses her arms in front of her and braces her stance so she stands more rigidly.

"You needed time to be alone with your thoughts, meditate in peace, it's the whole purpose behind me having that private retreat."

"I thought it was so you could hide with your pets without getting caught," Rey mumbles and rolls her eyes.

"What was that?" Kylo pushes off from the couch and walks towards Rey, taking her jaw in his hand as soon as he gets within reach of her.

The feeling of his fingers pressing into the hollow of her cheeks draws a sharp pain and she fights to get away, only causing him to clamp down tighter.

"You heard me," she manages to say despite the pain in her jaw.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you to watch your mouth." He growls right next to her face.

"Stop," Rey demands, refusing to step down and let him win.

"What?"

"I said, stop," she repeats again, this time with more defined force as she smacks his arms away causing him to release her jaw.

Kylo's expression is a mixture of shock and surprise, rarely having had someone stand up to him. His breaths are still labored and his mouth hangs open a touch while he rakes his eyes from her face and down her body quickly then back up.

"How many?" She mumbles.

"How many what?" Kylo asks, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Pets."

"Ah," he acknowledges with a nod, then walks to the side of the living space to the window, turning his face away to look at the empty space outside. "This really bothers you doesn't it?"

Rey rolls her eyes again, not appreciating the pretentious tone he's taking with her in a vulnerable moment. "Yes, Kylo."

"It's actually cute that you're so bothered by this," he chuckles, turning back to her with a devilish grin peaking through on his face, mostly evident in the crinkles forming next to his eyes.

"Why are you being like this?"

"Me?" His lips quirk a little and she sees a flash of his teeth. "You're the one who brought it up. You're the one who lets it festers like a deep splinter between us. You're the one who gives the women who used to keep me company residence in your brain, slowly driving yourself mad."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do." He makes a circle around the room, his hands clamped together behind him as he takes slow even steps. Rey sits on the arm of one of the chairs, keeping her eyes downcast towards the floor and trying to not give him the reaction he's fishing for.

"Jealousy is not an attractive trait Rey and you seem to have an issue keeping your thoughts at bay. First the jealousy over my family, now the jealousy over the whores who walked these halls before you." He makes a second circle, passing behind her so she can't see him but can still hear his footsteps getting nearer. "What? Are you afraid you'll never live up to them?" Kylo whispers from behind her, his breath hitting directly below her ear due to his close proximity.

"I said stop."

"You're going to have to get over it eventually, it'll be a long life if all you worry about is what happened in your home before you lived here."

"This place will never be home," Rey hisses through clenched teeth, trying to block him out with her eyes shut.

"That'll make for an even longer life Rey. It's time to move on and let go."

"Have they been in here? In our bed?"

Kylo walks back to the edge of the room silently, continuing his laps around the living space, letting the tension hang for a moment.

"Yes," he finally utters and Rey feels the jealousy rise in her again. "That makes you angry, I can feel it."

"What do you know."

"You Rey. I know you."

"No, you don't."

"I'm the only person who does. Not the traitor, not the pilot, not even my mother. Me, I'm the person who knows you the best."

"Yeah?" Her eyes shoot up to him, the rage behind them clear as she reaches towards the kitchen, grabbing the storage block for the knives and hurling it at his head. Kylo ducks just in time, allowing them enough room to miss his head, the largest knife piercing the metal and sticking there while the other clank to the floor.

Still bent over, Kylo looks over at the wall then quickly back at Rey, his eyes huge from shock. Rey's eyes are dark, practically black, her jaw set out of frustration, and her stance challenging him to fight back.

"You can't be serious Rey."

"Get out," Rey snaps at him.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me Kylo."

"You can't kick me out of my own quarters."

"Have it your way then." Rey storms back to the bedroom, slamming the double doors behind her and locking them.

"Rey come on," Kylo yells as he approaches the door, slamming his fist into it once and listening to see if he can hear her on the other side. "I need clothes at least."

She doesn't respond but he can hear her stomping around and drawers opening and closing. The door flies open and he's met by Rey holding a drawer with clothes piled high on it.

"Here." Rey tips the drawer upside down in front of him, leaving the assortment of clothes in a heap on the floor. "Now leave me alone." With aggressive force, she slams the door again, the lock clicking shut and echoing through the empty hallway.

Kylo rolls his eyes and storms back down the hallway, frustration from Rey's tantrum overtaking him. With a loud yell, he ignites his saber that was holstered on his hip, slicing it through the curtains around the window and attacking the wall with erratic diagonal motions. The marred metal glows red where the saber traveled, a harsh burning smell filling the space.

Evening his breath, he steps back and observes the wall, ignoring the sounds of D9 at the end of the hallway beeping frantically for Rey to let it into the room. The door opens briefly, long enough for the droid to slip in, before slamming shut again, leaving him in silent solitude.

—

Rey wakes up with a jolt, sweat covering her forehead, and her breath uneven. She was there again, in the moment of Kylo's death at the hand of that faceless girl. The memory of that vision haunts her and she can't seem to push it from her mind and move on.

Kylo's presence is near, as it has been all night but it's faint and peaceful, not angry like last night and she knows that must mean he's still asleep. Taking advantage of his unconsciousness, she sneaks into the hallway and moves quickly to the bathroom, a change of clothes in hand.

After freshening up, her skin sticky from the humidity in the bathroom following her shower, she opens the door slowly, unable to find Kylo in their connection, and unsure if he's still here. Looking up from the handle which she was so focused on opening quietly, the large figure of Kylo standing in front of her with his arms crossed startles her, drawing a gasp out of her.

"My maker," she blurts out, placing her hand on her chest.

"Good morning Rey," he chuckles, pleased that he caught her off guard.

"What are you doing?" Rey pushes past him with her shoulder and trudges down the hallway to the kitchen. Stepping into the main living space, she stops in her tracks at the sight of the opposite wall and the saber marks across the metal. "I see you... redecorated last night."

"That I did." Kylo steps into the room next to her. "I was inspired by you of course."

With an eye roll, Rey turns away. "I'm going for a walk to get acquainted with the ship a little more. Deal with.... this," she says while motioning at the wall.

"Where are you going exactly?"

"Around." Rey buttons her overcoat and turns to Kylo who is watching her with a small smirk on his lips. "What?"

"Nothing," he shrugs. "Have a good day."

"Yeah you too," she says with a suspicious tone, unable to read what he's thinking before turning down the stairs, knowing that he's watching her go.

—

Rey left the quarters nearly nine hours ago, which alarms Kylo because he figured she would have been back by now. Figuring that she was avoiding him, he leaves the quarters with the intention of finding her and hopefully work out their differences.

In his solitude on the couch last evening, he had reflected on his moods, coming to terms with what Rey keeps pointing out, that there are seemingly two sides of him. One that has become normal to him, the side that is angry, lonely, and bitter. Life has become comfortable living this way, he is able to get what he wants by force, not needing to care about anyone else.

Rey however brings out a different side of him, a glimmer of his former self. He knows she much prefers when he's being soft, caring, and loving, but most of the time, acting this way seems so foreign and uncomfortable to him that he has no desire to do it.

The presence of Rey enters his mind and he turns towards it, anxious to find her after the longest day of silence between them since their reunion. As her presence begins to become stronger, he notices that he's approaching the bridge which he finds strange that she went there alone.

The door slides open to the sides in front of him and he steps into the busy room, with workers of various ranks at the control stations. Rey stands on the far end of the room over a table of screens talking to General Parnadee.

"Yes?" Rey nearly growls without looking up as he walks up to the table and looks down at what they are viewing on the screens.

"What is this?" Kylo asks, ignoring Rey's clear distaste to his presence.

"I was showing the Empress the various maps we have in the system," General Parnadee explains. "We've covered many of the major star systems and have moved on to reviewing Cantonica."

"Considering you haven't allowed me the opportunity to do this, I took matters into my own hands," Rey adds, her face illuminated by the panel in front of her as she zooms in closer to Canto Bight.

"We will be traveling there as soon as you want," Kylo calmly tells Rey, making sure to not aggravate or alienate her in any way.

Her head snaps up and her eyes flick between his, confusion etched across her face. "As soon as I want?"

"Can we speak about this in private?" Kylo stretches his hand out to her, hoping once again that she'll humor him and take it.

Her eyes shift from his face down to his hand then back up to his eyes, her lips part a touch as she searches for words before her face softens a bit and she sets her own gloved hand in his tentatively.

Closing his hand quickly, as if he's afraid that she might escape him, he lowers their hands and leads her behind him out of the bridge, the workers all silently watching the two of them leave.

"Where are we going?" Rey questions, her heels thunking on the floor behind him as he navigates down to their quarters again on the opposite end of the destroyer.

Kylo doesn't respond to her, just leaves her in silence as they rush back down the hallways.

"Kylo, what the heck?" Rey yells as they descend the small set of stairs into the quarters.

"Rey," he says grabbing both of her arms and forcing her to look at him. "Let's leave the destroyer. Go live on Cantonica permanently. We can leave tonight."

"And why would I want to go anywhere with you?"

"You hate it here, I know you do."

Rey looks around the room, her bottom lip pulled into her mouth and foot tapping on the ground.

"Rey," he says softer and steps in front of her, taking her hands in his. "I know I shouldn't have said the things I did yesterday. Let me make it up to you. Our living arrangements will far exceed these here. I promise."

"I want to go back to Argent."

"We will. But not right now, we have duties and business to attend to." He reaches up and grabs a strand of hair next to her face and runs his fingers down it lightly. "Please."

"You're not capable of apologizing are you?" Rey asks.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

Rey doesn't respond, just studies his face again, her expression slowly softening the longer they stand there. "Okay, let's go to Cantonica."

Kylo gives her a quick kiss which to his delight she doesn't recoil from, instead, she actually reciprocates lightly before pulling away, accepting his feeble attempt at an apology.


	10. Forever

*time jump: one month*

Rey rushes into the bathroom, placing her hands on the counter in front of her and allowing herself a moment to regain her composure. With a deep release of her breath through her nose, she looks back up at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes focusing on a figure vaguely resembling her usual self with the top half of her hair gathered in the back and cascading down to join the rest of her hair that falls around her nearly bare shoulders.

She hardly recognizes her own face after she spent what felt like hours having paints and powders applied to her skin with brushes by women with pointed faces and alarmingly long eyelashes and fingernails.

Lowering herself to the ground, she tugs the tight corset around her torso that has been constricting her breathing slightly and crosses her legs under the pile of draped fabric that makes her skirt hard to move in.

Resting her freshly manicured hands on her lap, she closes her eyes, taking a cleansing breath to allow herself to find her center again. The day has been long and stressful and she hadn't properly prepared herself for just how much of a spectacle it would be.

She struggles to relax at all, her thoughts swirling violently and keeping her teetering on the edge of a breakdown. With an exasperated huff, she grabs the ring on her hand and pulls it off roughly, throwing it to the side on the tile floor, the hard metal making a little clanking noise as it bounces and then rolls.

With the distraction of her finger, her shoulders relax, and almost immediately, a light presence pushes through the force and into her mind, wrapping her in warmth, and bringing a form of comfort she hadn't experienced for quite some time.

She sits in the warmth for a moment, allowing it to provide her a moment to calm down in her anxious state as she thinks about what the rest of her evening entails. 'Rey' a voice whispers across the force and a tear forms in the bottom of her left eye at the recognition of the voice. 'Rey' it repeats again and she pries her eyes open, the tear escaping and trailing down her chin.

'Finn,' she whispers into the empty room as the warmth leaves her again, reading her anxiety for loneliness despite the joyous occasion that the night is celebrating.

Looking to her right where she had thrown the ring, she spots the silver band where it came to rest on the floor and scoots over to it, recrossing her legs in front of her. She holds the band up in front of her, running her eyes around the endless circle of the soldered metal and the small black diamonds nestled in the polished surface.

"Ma'am?" Her servant for the night yells through the door. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Rey blurts out, realizing she has probably been in the bathroom far too long and she is probably raising suspicions.

Shoving the ring back on her finger, she stands up, teetering on her shoes for a moment and adjusting the corset and skirt of the dress again. With a heavy sigh, she swipes under her eyes with her fingers and pinches her shoulders back before opening the door.

—

Kylo stands along the side of the balcony overlooking the sleeping city lit up by warm lanterns and lights, casting the bricks in a golden hue. The click of her heels draws his attention, and he turns slowly, tugging at the dress clothes that feel unnatural on him.

Rey floats down the stairs, the draped white fabric framing her small figure and hugging her hips before trailing out behind her elegantly. A small smile spreads across her face as she looks up at Kylo once she reaches the bottom of the stairs and extends her hand to meet his which he offers in front of him.

"Hello, wife," Kylo says quietly in greeting, taking in just how beautiful she is silently as he leans forward and plants a kiss on the back of her hand, her intoxicating perfume filling his nose.

"Hello, husband." Rey smiles back, wrapping her arm under his and tucking her shoulder into his side as she turns to take in the beautiful city sprawling out in front of them.

"I've never seen something so beautiful in my entire life," she whispers, her voice heavy with contentment.

"This is just the beginning sweetheart." Kylo leans down, mumbling into the top of her head and sending shivers through her.

Rey continues to let her eyes wander across the city, a rush of excitement flowing through her. "We should join the party," Rey whispers reluctantly, not wanting the quiet moment to end, knowing she'll be the center of attention as soon as they enter the ballroom filled with hundreds of people she doesn't know.

"Indeed," Kylo agrees, tightening his hand around hers and kissing it tenderly again. "Don't be nervous."

"I'm not," Rey lies, looking up into his eyes.

"Your thoughts betray you," he says with a small smile twitching at the corner of his lips.

"Get out of my head," Rey teases, squeezing his hand the best she can despite the noticeable size difference.

Kylo leans down, caressing her cheek in his free hand, allowing her to lean into him as their lips meet. Her breath tickles across his cheek as she breathes, meeting him in synchronized movements. The desire between the two of them has been growing, and he can sense it boiling over in her, yet she continues to have self-restraint as a result requiring him to find that control in himself.

With a step forward, he feels resistance as her butt bumps up against the railing behind her and wraps her in his arms even tighter as her fingers spread out on his back, leaving small spots of heat where they press. "We should -" Rey blurts as Kylo momentarily gives her a chance to take a breath before assaulting her lips with his again, his tongue slipping into her mouth. "Ben," Rey whispers again breaking him out of his trance and he rips his lips away from hers, opening his eyes to look down into hers, and resting their foreheads together. "Later," she adds quietly, a glint of mischief present in her gaze.

"Yeah?" Kylo asks with a small chuckle to his voice, trying to keep his excitement at bay.

"Yeah." Rey gives him one more peck and takes his hand back in hers before running her finger across his lips, wiping the remnants of her lipstick off his skin.

"Time for everyone to meet their empress." Kylo kisses her hand one more time before pulling her behind him, being sure to help her move in her heels that he knows she isn't accustomed to because they're daintier than her usual clunky boots.

When they reach the door, they pause, Rey taking a deep breath as a last attempt to calm her nerves before the two men wearing crisp tuxes open the door to the expansive room. What seems like hundreds of people wearing extravagant black and white outfits turn from their places at the round tables to look at them.

Rey's hand immediately tightens in his, her knuckles turning white as she hangs on for everything she's worth as they take a few steps into the room, coming into view of all the guests. 

"Our guests of honor," a voice says in a regal tone across the rooms. "Empress Palpatine and Emperor Ren."

The room erupts into applause, the sound deafening and discombobulating. With a glance down at her and a nod, she steps forward, focusing on the sensation of their skin together as they begin what seems like a never-ending walk to their table that is slightly raised on the other end of the room, flanked by long crimson curtains donning the first order symbol on the ornate gold walls.

Standing to the side of the table, Rey turns to regard the crowd of people in front of her, nodding at them politely, their applause subsiding as Kylo pulls her chair out and she takes a seat.

With the personal request of no business talk from anyone in attendance, the remainder of the reception passes without a hitch, releasing Rey from her social duties for the evening. The guests took their turns introducing themselves and practically explaining why they were more important than the last person they had spoken to, or at least Rey interpreted it that way each time she met another guest.

The attendees had little to no personal connection to either of them, but as Kylo reminded her, keeping prominent and wealthy people in their circle is important for their future success and security.

—

By the end of the evening Rey is exhausted, barely able to keep herself upright in her heels anymore, so as soon as they are outside and alone again, Rey slips her shoes off, letting them dangle by the straps from her fingers. Taking her shoes from her, Kylo carries them for her in his right hand and takes her hand back into his left. In the time since her arrival, Kylo had insisted on consistent physical touch between them, and Rey obliqued despite the burning curiosity behind his desire for this form of affection.

The air is still, most of the patrons of the town either asleep or still partying the night away back at the reception hall, leaving Rey and Kylo to enjoy the presence of just the other person as they walk to quiet streets.

Never in her life had Rey visited a place such as Canto Bight, the luxury almost overwhelming to her, and she stares at every little detail her eyes encounter in awe.

Kylo pulls her wordlessly down a narrower walkway that is enclosed by an arched brick ceiling and large lightbulbs strung across in a zigzag pattern. "Isn't the transport the other direction?"

"We're not going back to the base tonight," Kylo responds simply, turning to face an ornate carved wooden door while digging in his pocket.

"So we're staying here?"

"Indeed." The lock of the door clicks loudly in response to Kylo turning the key in it. The space revealed as the door opens is dimly lit, filled with gold furniture with black cushions and red accents, a few lamps casting light across the stone walls.

Rey's mouth hangs open as she walks into the room, her eyes trying to take in everything as fast as she can as if it's going to suddenly disappear. "This is ours for the night?"

"This is ours in general. Whenever you want to get off base, say the word, we'll come here."

Rey smiles up at him before looking back down at the detailed stitching on the pillows resting on the sofa, pinching a tassel in her hands before moving to the door on the far wall that leads into another room. Their living quarters on the base are comfortable, but they are nowhere near the levels of luxury present in the space here.

The bedroom to the side is small, filled up by the large bed that is much like the one on the destroyer and the base, and she longs to curl up in it after the exhausting day.

Kylo's touch startles her as he wraps his hands around to her front, pulling her backward so her body rests against his, and tightens his hold around her. She allows her eyes to close, resting her head back on his chest, listening to his breathing above her head.

Rey's chest rises and falls as she lets out a deep breath, and Kylo leans forward, peppering kisses on her neck. "Are you okay?" He whispers, his warm breath tickling her skin and raising goosebumps.

"Yeah," she sighs, a smile on her lips, her hand reaching up and around the back of his neck behind her and grabbing a chunk of his black hair, holding his face against her neck.

The sensation of his fingers flexing out and then tightening around her waist and stomach again sends tingles down her body, settling a heat between her legs and she closes her eyes in response, giving in to the desire. "Ben," Rey whispers as he bites at her shoulder lightly, slipping the strap down her arm and out of the way.

"I'm here baby," he assures her with a few more kisses and nibbles before turning her to face him.

Rey places her hands on both sides of his face, studying the deep brown eyes staring back at her in the dim light of the room, and tracing his scar with her thumb. Their lips meet again, both of them taking in a deep breath through their noses at the sensation of the electric charge ripping through them.

Her fingers fumble nervously with the small buttons of his dress shirt that are already strained from his broad chest trying to bust through them. As soon as it's undone, she pushes her hands up and under the fabric, taking the shirt and jacket with them and allowing them to drop on the ground.

The fire inside her intensifies in response to him leaning forward to work at the small buttons and laces on the back of her dress behind her while kissing and sucking lightly on her skin. With each release of a button and then finally the final release of the corset, the butterflies in her stomach kick up even more at the vulnerable moment that is approaching.

The dress falls in a heap at her feet and Kylo immediately bends down, scooping her up and carrying her to the side of the room, pressing her back against the cold stone. Instinctively, she wraps her legs around him, her exposed breasts pressing up against his chest as they fall into a rhythm with their kisses, their lips hot on each others, and their hands exploring.

A whimper involuntarily escapes Rey's lips as he presses himself against her between her legs, a tingle shooting up the length of her body again. With a low growl from him, he turns, closing the gap to the bed in a couple of steps, and lowers her back onto the bed, taking a moment to remove his dress pants before crawling up between her legs.

"You set the pace okay love?" He whispers, catching Rey's attention with the pet name he had never used before. She nods quickly, his face only inches from his before pulling him down to her, their lips once again meeting with excitement.

A/N: there's our short glimmer of happy Reylo but so far the story hasn't lent itself much to writing a ton of happy Reylo. Trust me, it hurts me too when they aren't happy. I'm excited with where this story is going and I have some big things in store, so thank you all for the patience and support!


	11. Lifting Rocks

"Sir," a voice regards Kylo from behind them, and Rey grips the desk in front of her out of anger with her back to them. Since retuning to the base following their wedding last week, Rey had noticed most of the generals and officers adversion to addressing her directly, and it was frankly grinding at her patience.

"General Pryde," Rey snaps and turns, placing herself in front of Kylo, effectively taking over the situation, her arms crossed in front of her mid section.

"Rey," he says politely.

"Empress or Ma'am." Rey stares at him, unblinking and unmoving waiting for his reaction which he doesn't give her, just blinks his piercing blue eyes, waiting for the situation to defuse itself.

"It's not a big deal," Kylo reasons from behind her while trying to turn her towards him with his hands on her shoulders.

"Maybe to you."

"Rey," Kylo says with a hint of warning to his tone.

"What? I'm tired of you bulldozing me and excluding me. You will include me in decisions, and the generals, officers, and lieutenants will address me as I wish."

"Don't speak to me like that," he warns, his voice lower and more severe.

"Or what?" Rey cocks her head to the side in challenge, catching Kylos hand in mid air with the force, stopping his attempt to backhand her again. "That's cute," she chuckles while watching his cheeks turn red from fighting against her force hold and from embarrassment in front of the two generals and trooper captain present.

Rey drops his hand, turning back to General Pryde, trusting that Kylo won't try something again, at least not until they leave the control room and they don't have an audience anymore.

"What seems to be the issue today," Rey asks, calmer now and looking at the hologram screen lit up on the round table in front of them. The view is zoomed into Canto Bight, including the mountains surrounding it and the bay the city is nestled on.

"What seems to be the issue," Pryde begins, drawing the word 'seems' out in frustration.

Rey turns to him, grabbing him by the throat with the force and pushing him back up against a bank of windows. With slow steady steps, she approaches him, keeping her face even, watching him grab at his throat as he fights for air.

"Is there an issue?" She asks only a foot away from him.

"No," he gasps out, his fingers still grasping at his throat.

"I'm sorry?" Rey cocks her head to the side. "I didn't quite hear that."

"No," -gasp- "issue," -gasp- "ma'am."

Rey stares at him, slightly amused by this man who has such a large ego at her mercy, her arms crossed in front of her in boredom as his face turns a light purple.

"Rey," Kylos voice barks a word of warning sharply, commanding her to stop.

Rey turns to look at him over her shoulder, meeting his eyes which are a harsh dark color and she rolls hers in response. "Fine," Rey concedes and turns back to the table as Pryde falls to the ground with a thud, taking a desperate deep breath and coughing as air refills his lungs. "General Parnadee, please enlighten me since your partner is incapable."

The woman with even dark skin and her curly hair secured in a low bun steps forward, holding her hands behind her back and regarding Rey professionally. "Captain Gables troops encountered a group of children within the slave community here on the planet," She pans the map to zoom in on a part behind the casino where the race tracks are. "They're supposedly force sensitive."

Glancing over at Kylo, Rey keeps her face guarded as she thinks about what to do with the children. Surely trained force users pose a threat to them, so finding a solution before they can be trained to use their powers is necessary. "And how do the troopers know so confidently that the children are force sensitive?"

"I don't know ma'am," General Parnadee says politely and dips her head as she takes a step back, humbly admitting she has no more information to be useful in the conversation.

"Pryde." Rey turns, her black boots with a red heel stomping right in front of him still catching his breath on the floor. "Get up."

General Pryde moves slowly, sore from the strained movements in his aging muscles, regaining his posture and standing a few inches above Rey. "How do they know they're force sensitive?" Rey asks again and Pryde looks over her head at Kylo. "Don't worry yourself with him, I'm the one speaking to you, am I not?"

"They were... lifting things," the general says cautiously, nervous about Rey's response.

"Like what type of thing?"

"Rocks."

"Rocks?"

"Precisely," he confirms, adverting his eyes away from her.

Rey turns her back to Pryde, rubbing her fingers on her temples while laughing to herself.

"Deal with them," Rey says suddenly, her demeanor changing as she flips back around and stalks back to the table. "Kill them if you must, but I would suggest just enlisting them in the troops instead. No need for innocent blood on our hands."

A Captain in a shiny suit much like Finn had mentioned Captains wearing, watches her from the corner of the room waiting for his directions. "Gables I assume?" Kylo asks the man who's helmet is tucked under his arm revealing his tanned skin and tight spirally hair. "Take the children, place them under strict observation and conformity therapy. Make sure they forget their powers completely before they're ever given a weapon."

"Yes sir," the captain acknowledges before obscuring his head with his helmet and leaving the command room without another word.

"Is that all?" Kylo asks turning back to address Prdye who is watching Rey distastefully while she pans over the map of the planet in front of her. Since waking up this morning, she has been eratic, hard to read, and confrontational and it has Kylo confused about what exactly is going on her head.

"Yes," Pryde growls, clearly unamused by the theatrics of the meeting.

"Leave us," Kylo orders the generals, turning his gaze to Rey who has tuned out of the conversation, back in her own world again.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watches the two generals leave, the door whistling shut and coming together with a soft thud, announcing that they are now alone.

Kylo doesn't say anything just leans back on the windowsill behind him with his arms crossed, looking at Rey's head which is turned down towards the hologram table still. The silence between them is palpable and neither of them wants to humble themselves enough to speak first.

Pushing himself off from the counter, he walks towards her, knowing that if he doesn't say anything that they could easily be here for hours because she is too stubborn to give in. His boots thud on the floor as he takes even and slow steps, approaching her from the side and he can see her watching him out of the corner of her eye, the tension between them rising the closer he gets.

"What was that?" Kylo hisses as he reaches her, spinning her so her butt is bumped up against the table and she is facing him. The flecks of gold sprinkled around her eyes reflect in the light streaming through the windows behind him and Kylo attempts to ignore that distracting detail and regain his focus.

"I thought you wanted me to find my voice Kylo?"

"You don't speak to me like that," he says through clenched teeth as he roughly takes her wrists in his hands.

"I am not going to stand idly by and let you make every decision without me."

"I don't."

"But you do. Since my arrival no one has given me the treatment I deserve and you don't do anything to help it. I was Empress before you were Emperor. You only have the title because I wanted you to. Treat me the way I deserve."

"Know your place."

"Know your place Kylo," she hisses back. "Don't think I won't do something about you if you get in my way."

"You're thretening me?" Kylo leans forward, placing his hands on the edge of the table on either side of her, bringing them even closer, but leaving himself at a higher level than her.

"You've left me no choice," she shrugs, their noses only an inch apart, their hot breath mixing in front of them.

"You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" Rey cocks her head to the side, her eyes glinting and a smile pulling at her lips. "You don't know me."

"If I don't, then who does? You were a nobody before I found you, I can easily return you to a life like that, make sure no one remembers you."

"My parents left me on Jakku to protect me, what did yours do?"

"Don't bring my parents into this."

"Why not? You love to bring mine up."

Kylo doesn't respond, just glares at her from below his brow, trying to not be drawn in by how attractive her defiant side is.

"And while we're at it, Kylo," she sneers. "How about we talk about how no matter what, you refuse to tell me just how you feel. I tell you I love you, but all you're capable of is physical displays of lust. The only 'love' I've felt from you was the night of our wedding, but was that just because you were finally going to get what you want? Well you did, congratulations. You gave up your little pets to obtain the title of emperor. I'm sure you were starved."

"Stop it."

Rey raises her eyebrows in shock and her mouth falls open a touch. "What? Can't handle the truth? Man up," she snaps as she pushes him back away from her and tries to make her way to the door, stopped by Kylo grabbing her hand and holding her in place.

"Stop," he growls out in a rough voice.

She stands still, her body still turned away from him and her arm stretched back to where he holds her wrist tight. "I do feel that way about you, you have to know that by now."

Almost in slow motion, she turns to look at him, studying his face which is still guarded and contorted from frustration. "I would like to believe that."

"But?"

"If you can't even say it, how is one supposed to believe it?" She searches his eyes for any acceptable emotion in response but he is completely closed. "I should go."

"Rey."

"Let go," Rey demands, her voice cracking a touch as she tugs at his hand still holding her. "Let go," she says with more emphasis as she regains control of her arm.

Kylo stands with his hands hanging to his sides, his shoulders slumped a touch as he watches her rub her wrist where his hand was. "Don't follow me," she demands and spins on her heels.

Kylo leans back against the windowsill, the warm heat radiating through the glass and onto his back. Raking his fingers through his hair, his mind wanders to what she said, calling him out for being unable to express his feelings to her and kicking himself for being oblivious to it up until now.


	12. That's Your Name

There's an awkward silence on the transport and Rey refuses to look in Kylo's general direction. Following the seizing of the force-sensitive children, Rey made the decision that she would visit the slave community, particularly the stables to seek out any more force users. Despite her efforts to not inform Kylo of her plans, he had hijacked her afternoon by insisting he accompany her and assist.

She can feel his eyes on her from the other side of the small room, but she's thankful to have Vicrul and Kuruk with as extra presences to deter him from creating a scene.

'Are you just going to ignore me all day?' Kylo asks through the force connection and she curses herself for forgetting about that pesky trait they both unfortunately possess.

Scanning her eyes across the roof of the transport, she pretends she didn't hear him and holds out hope that he'll stop trying.

'Rey, stop being stubborn.'

'Stop,' Rey warns in a simple tone back to him, still not meeting his eyes.

The two masked men shift uncomfortably between them, probably able to sense to some degree the change in the air between Rey and Kylo. Rey shoots a look at Kylo in warning to leave her alone and to not press anymore which he silently responds to by leaving the connection quiet.

The ship shakes and Rey immediately moves into action, waiting for the door to lower in front of her, the hydraulics hissing and dispelling steam around them.

In the afternoon sun, the ground radiates heat causing Rey to sweat in her dark and heavy boots and pants. Kylo stay a few paces behind her as she walks, effectively causing the Knights to also follow her and she attempts to lose them by taking frequent turns down alleys.

The civilians of the community watch them with caution, fear and curiosity pouring off them as they duck into their homes. Rey observes the children in particular as she passes them, trying to quickly assess them and make rash judgements about their potential sensitivity to the force.

A large hatch hangs open to the track and Rey walks up the ramp to the door, peering in the musty barn with large doors. A low grunt catches her attention and she looks up at the top of one of the doors to the source of the sound.

A large create with a flat face and horizontal ears protruding from the side of its head peers down at her over the massive door. Rey approaches it with caution, her hand outstretched, which the creature leans forward to sniff.

"It's a Fathier," Kylo says as he walks up next to Rey, allowing the creature to sniff him as Rey starts to pet it timidly. "That's what you could hear racing on the tracks the night of our wedding."

Rey doesn't respond to him, instead fights down the annoyance that he's bringing up the fact that they're married and she can't stay mad at him forever. With a sigh, she turns and observes the rest of the room, which is empty, obvious signs of struggle present probably from the morning. 

As she walks, her feet crunch on the straw, until her boot is met with resistance and she takes a step back to look at what she just stepped on.

She squats down to the ground and digs her fingers into the straw, digging out a small ring with a round face. At the sight of it, her hands shake and her vision blurs for a second as she flips the small switch revealing the Reistance insignia. "Rose," Rey whispers and closes her eyes.

She sees the ring, this time on her friends olive skin as she animatedly tells a story to the table of her friends over lunch. Poe and Finn sit across from her, and Rey feels a pang of sadness mixed with homesickness at the image of their smiling faces laughing with Rose, almost able to smell the scents of the base mixed with the food int the cafeteria. 

"Loyalties," Kylo says to snap her out of her trance as he walks past her, setting his hand on her shoulder.

With a sudden movement, she stands, rushing back out of the stable and turning into the city a little ways down a small alley. She weaves in and out of people, between fountains and behind small merchant booths hoping to lose Kylo and his persistent shadows.

Kylo's presence behind her is clear but she can't feel the knights, meaning they hopefully didn't follow or fell behind. Darting down a random alley and out of the crowds of people, she curses herself, noticing that it's a dead end and there's not where to go.

She turns quickly back, hoping Kylo is still far enough away that she can escape and keep moving but his frame already fills the end of the corridor.

"Did you intentionally bring us to our apartment?" He muses as he walks towards her, his hands in his pockets and his posture casual.

"What?"

"Our apartment," he motions at the door. "This is it."

"Ah." Rey crosses her arms in front of her, not enjoying the feeling of being trapped at the end of the hallway.

"Give it up Rey. You need to talk to me again."

"Why's that?"

"Because we're a team."

"Thats something I never thought I would hear coming out of your mouth," Rey scoffs and rolls her eyes.

"You like to test me," Kylo nearly growls, his height allowing him to tower over her from only inches away.

"You like to test me," she disputes, noticing the electric charge between them in their close proximity.

"I find it rather exhilarating."

"Is that so? We're a team but you intentionally upset me."

"You do crazy things when you love someone," he nearly whispers and Rey's mouth falls open.

"You choose now of all times?" Shock and annoyance present in her voice.

"Yes," he says confidentially.

"You love me?" Rey whispers, her face having softened significantly, but her mind still holding onto the anger.

"I love you," Kylo whispers back, his eyes reflecting vulnerability as they shift back and forth between hers.

Rey stares at him, her unreadable face raising anxiety within Kylo as he waits for her response, dreading that she's going to say or do something to knock his confidence back down.

"I love you too," she whispers desperately, and grabs him by the back of the neck, pulling his lips down to hers. After a moment of shocked hesitation, Kylo returns the sentiment, wrapping his hand around the side of her neck and using the other one to pull her closer.

With a turn and two steps, Rey's back meets the door of their apartment and Kylo's hand finds a spot next to her head, which she holds with her own as the kiss deepens and the desire escalates.

"Door," Rey whispers and Kylo fumbles blindly to unlock the door to their apartment.

Once he's able to wrestle it open without allowing his lips to leave Rey's, he picks her up, his hands caressing her ass, and kicks the apartment door close behind him.

Rey works hungerly to undo his jacket and pull it off, her lips hot on his and her hair quickly escaping the buns on her head.

With a thud, her back hits the wall, and she throws her head back as Kylo trails kisses down her neck, undoing her shirt and exposing her breasts by slipping it over her head. He takes one into his mouth while working to undo her pants, drawing a gasp from her and she tugs on his hair in response to the pleasure.

"Bed," she whispers desperately.

"Bed," he whispers in confirmation and turns quickly to the bed, throwing her backwards onto it and working to remove her pants before crawling over top of her.

She squirms under him as his mouth finds hers again and his hand works it's way between her legs, drawing a low noise from her. "Kylo," she whispers as he moves to her jaw with his kisses.

He props himself up quickly and looks down at her in surprise. "Kylo? You never call me Kylo unless you're angry with me."

"It just slipped out I guess," she shrugs, still laying on her back and scrunching her fingers in his hair. "It's your name after all."

"Yeah," he sighs and rolls onto the bed next to her, fixing his eyes on the ceiling and crossing his hands on his stomach.

Rey blinks rapidly in shock, confused by the sudden change in events. "So...." she fishes, wondering why the atmosphere has shifted so much between them.

"I'm just not in the mood anymore."

"Not in the mood? We've been married a week and I know that you're almost always in the mood."

Kylo shrugs silently still staring up at the ceiling not giving her any real response to work with. Rey rolls to the edge of the bed and grabs a blanket to throw over them before rolling to lay on her other side to better see him.

"Why did that bother you so much?" She asks in a muted voice as to not come off harsh.

"I've become so accustomed to my former self personified through your image of me. You see me for Ben, not for the creature that is Kylo Ren."

"I thought you said Ben was dead."

Kylo chuckles a little, his eyes and cheeks crinkling up. "Now you're starting to sound like me."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Honestly, you sound more like me than I do at this point."

"What do you mean?" Rey asks, her eyebrows scrunching together and her mouth pulling into a straight line, finding that he has his guards up and is keeping her out for some reason.

"It's nothing," he sighs, his eyes flitting shut as if he's about to go to sleep.

Rey doesn't push him, just closes her eyes as well, noticing how tired she is from their afternoon in the heat. She knows she would be lying if she didn't admit noticing how the further to the light she got, the closer he seemed to move towards it. They never balanced, if one was in the light, the other was turned to the dark and rarely at the same time, almost like there is only enough room for one of them on each side.

Her whole decision to be with him and marry him had hinged on the fact that they are a dyad and ultimately stronger together, but the constant feeling of being on a teeter totter is wearing on her and she doesn't know what to do about it.

She opens her eyes again, peaking at him to see what he's doing to find his eyes open again, this time his head turned towards her. Their eyes meet and Rey feels a strange charge pulse through both of them.

"Ben?" Rey whispers and his lips twitch a little.

He nods his head slowly, keeping his eyes locked on hers. "Yes," he whispers softly and Rey feels a strange combination of butterflies and a sinking feeling.

Rey rolls to meet him in the middle of the bed and he follows suit, wrapping her up in his arms, but allowing her enough space that she can still look at him. Running her hands up and around to the back of his neck, she runs her fingers around in a circlular motion in his thick hair.

"I love you, Rey. Don't ever forget that."

She returns here eyes back to his, alarmed by the gentleness. "I love you too."


	13. Dream

*time jump: three months* 

The air is thick, moisture weighing his hair down so that it sticks to his forehead. The ground squishes under the soles of his shoes, the dirt and moss matted down from the rain and the humidity that never allows it to fully dry. 

There's no sound present, not even the sound of the wildlife or roar of engines in the hangar bay, just eerie silence. 

A presence appears behind him as he walks and he turns towards it, his eyes taking a moment to adjust in the low light, revealing his mother. She's smaller than he remembers, her frame shrunken in size since the last time he saw her in person, her hair grayed and wrapped in a bun around her head. 

"Ben," she says with a soft smile, her voice comforting as it always was. 

"Mom?" He questions, taking a step towards her and putting himself in arms reach. "What are you doing here?"

"My boy," she says as she cups his cheek, running her thumb across it and he melts into her touch. "Look how grown up you are." 

"Mom," Kylo says again, this time in a whisper as he fights back tears. 

"Come home," she says simply.

"It's too late." 

"It's never too late," Leia says and kisses his other cheek before fading away. Kylo grasps frantically for her unsuccessfully until she is no longer visible and he wakes up with a start, sitting up quickly in the bed. 

With his arms propping him up behind him, he works to calm his breath, his chest slick with sweat, and the blanket pulling off Rey from his movement. She's unbothered, her mouth still hanging open slightly and her face smushed into a pillow, her dainty shoulder illuminated by the moonlight from outside. After his breath is calmed, he ruffles his damp hair, sneaks out from under the covers making sure to cover Rey back up, and pads out to the balcony of their living quarters. 

The desert beyond the base stretches for miles, a faint light visible where the next town over from Canto Bight lies. Below him, a couple of storm troopers stand guard, engaging in hushed conversation with each other to keep themselves occupied during the early morning hours when there's no activity. 

"Ben," a voice says from behind him. He freezes, not wanting to turn and see her again because there's no doubt that it's his mother' voice. The voice that had haunted his thoughts and dreams for years, used against him by Snoke in his downward spiral into the darkness. 

"Benjamin," she says with a little more force and he turns slowly, coming face to face with his mother again, but a younger version of her this time. Her frame in stronger, more filled out, her face almost free of wrinkles besides the worry lines he remembers she always had on her forehead, and her hair that is draped in a braided bun is back to its brown color. 

"You're not real," Kylo mumbles, crossing his arms over his bare chest in the presence of his mother who hasn't seen him for nearly twenty years. "I'm still asleep, this is a dream."

"You're very much awake, and while I might not be physically there, Ben, it's me." Her voice is soothing, reminding him of the times as a young boy she would sit on the end of his bed and tell him a bedtime story. 

"Why are you here?" 

"I had a vision that I need to tell you about," she steps forward and looks out over the desert, her hands hovering where the railing is as if she's physically here with him. 

Kylo leans his hip on the railing, trying to keep his arms crossed over his chest while he waits for her to continue. 

"I saw your demise," she says quietly, her hands clasped and pulled back up in front of her. "At the hands of your daughter." 

"My what?" Shock overtakes him and his mouth falls open, his facing turning warm in the cool night air. 

"Your daughter," she repeats. "She turns to the light."

"That can't be," Kylo shakes his head in disbelief. 

"Its in your nature whether you want to believe it or not. Surely it'll be in your children's nature."

Kylo shakes his head, casting his eyes back down at the ground, mulling over what she's saying. 

"So I have a daughter, who's force sensitive," he pauses and looks up at his mom and takes a breath. "What about Rey?" 

" I didn't see her, only you," Leia looks sad, worried even as she looks at her son. "Ben, you have to do something. You can't fall subject to the same fate of your father."

It feels as if he was just punched in the chest as he realizes the gravity of what she just said. He took his fathers life, and apparently he would fall to the same fate at the hand of his own daughter.

"What can I do though?" 

"Come back," she pleads. "I may not be here, but I can assure they'll take you back. You can live a peaceful life with the resistance, raise your family."

"What do you mean you won't be there?" He asks, taking a step towards her, worry setting in. 

Leia pulls her mouth into a tight line, her eyes moving across every part of his face and her hand reaching up to cup his cheek, pulling a softer side out of him in return. Ben physically can't feel her skin touching his, but is able to feel a warmth on his cheek even though he isn't sure if it's just his brain playing tricks on him. "You look so much like your father."

"Mom," Ben chokes out, the realization that she's fading sucker-punching him in the stomach, regret taking over, knowing he can't get back the time he never had with her. "I..." he trails off, clenching his jaw and taking a hard gulp. 

"I know," she assures him, the warmth still present on his cheek but barely recognizable. "I love you too, always have."

Ben reaches out in a useless attempt to grab her before she disappears completely from his view, leaving him alone on the balacony. He runs a shaky hand back through his hair and puffs his cheeks out as he lets out a heavy breath, trying to keep his emotions from betraying him. 

A sinking feel rushes through him, followed by faint a pain in his chest which turns into an empty feeling as if his heart was just ripped out. He clutches the railing next to him, his other hand flying up to his aching chest, knowing he just sensed his mother's passing somewhere in the galaxy. 

With a staggered step he turns to face the railing again, bracing himself with two hands and letting his head hang in front of him, his hair falling over his face and into his eyes. A single tear slips out despite how tightly he is pressing his eyelids shut in an attempt to keep it in. 

"Ben," a whisper comes from behind him, startling him, followed by the soft touch of warm skin on his exposed back. 

He wipes his face quickly, trying to remove the signs of his weakness and turns to her. Rey is wrapped in a long flowing nightgown and robe, having graduated from the shorts and tank tops she left on the destroyer to the finer fabrics she acquired in Canto Bight.

"Was that...?" She trails off, her eyes dodging his and sweeping across the railing, moisture forming at the bottom of them. 

"Yes," Ben whispers, taking her hands in his, kissing one of them before dropping them down again. 

"Are you okay?" Rey reaches up and cups his cheek in her hand, where his mother's hand should have been moments before. 

"I'm fine," he assures in a whispers. "Actually, she was just here. Here to warn me."

"Warn you? About what?" Rey's eyebrows furrow and she cocks her head to the side in curiosity. 

"She had a vision about my death. I apparently die at the hand of our daughter."

"Our daughter..." Rey acknowledges, finally understanding her vision. 

"What?" 

"Nothing," she lies, pulling the robe tighter around her and turning to observe the landscape to distract herself. 

Ben steps in front of her, taking her hands, and stares into her eyes, his gaze flicking back and forth between her two hazel eyes that look almost black in the dark. He can feel her trying to keep something from him, pushing it to the back of her head where she keeps her most valuable memories where he doesn't dare go. 

"You knew," he whispers, stepping back from her a touch and dropping her hands. 

"Yes but please understand. I thought it was me. I never saw the face of the girl in the vision," she reaches for his hands again and he doesn't fight her, but still regards her cautiously. "Ben please, I was so scared to tell you that I had a vision where I thought I went back to the light. You already question my loyalties, I was terrified of how you would have reacted if you would have known."

"Shhhh," he whispers as he draws her against his chest, feeling the warmth of her skin. "It's okay."

A tear escapes the corner of her eye and runs down his chest, leaving a wet trail on his skin, and she violently sniffs. Releasing her slightly, Ben kneels down in front of her, putting his face at the same level as her stomach. 

Rey watches him curiously as he places his hands on her stomach and closes his eyes, lines appearing between his eyes as he focuses. He dispels a breath from his nose and takes another one before he opens his eyes up again and looks up at her. "What?" 

"There's life," he says simply, a smile forming on his lips. 

"What do you mean life?" Her eyes are huge, watching him as he stands back up and towers back over her. 

"Rey, I think you're pregnant," he says more clearly, grabbing her hands.

Rey blinks slowly, a panicked expression on her face. "That can't be."

"And why not?"

"I don't know, I guess I just never thought I would be in the position to have a family," Rey fiddles with her hands in front of her and turns to face away from him. "Subconsciously I think I just never wanted to have children."

"That was something you should have brought up before Rey." 

"I know," Rey whispers in response, water pooling in her eyes as she lays her hand on her stomach and looks down at it. "Oh my maker," she gasps in reaction to the life force within her pushing its presence out to join around hers. 

"Are you okay?" 

"Yeah." A smile flits across her lips as she continues to feel the presence intertwined with hers. "I'm okay. This is amazing." 

—

"Finn," Poe's urgent voice says from behind him as he makes his way back up to his room to retire until the sun comes back up in the morning. Finn turns to face his friend, exhaustion overtaking him and he pushes his emotions down. Leia passed peacefully with Maz by her side after saying her goodbyes to everyone before they all went to sleep yesterday evening. Her passing wasn't a surprise, but Finn was still distraught and upset by it. 

Her light had been fading significantly over the previous weeks, and as a result, she had begun passing operations over to Poe as acting general while still trying her best to train Finn to use the force. The training he had gotten was minimal at best, but he knows he has a good starting point to build off of and start his self exploration of his own abilities. 

"I'm headed to bed, what's up?" Finn asks, almost annoyed that Poe is delaying his sleep. 

"I'm so overwhelmed," Poe explains as soon as he stops in front of his friend, breathing heavily. 

"What?" 

"I don't know how Leia did it alone, I need your help." 

"With what?" 

"I want to make you general along side me. I need your help."

"No way," Finn laughs, his face crinkling up into a smile as he assumes his friend is messing with him, but Poe's face doesn't change at all. "You're not joking?"

"Not one bit." 

"Oh. Oh of course, that's amazing, thank you." Finn rambles and pulls Poe into a hug of thanks, holding the embrace a little longer than would be typically expected.

"For our first task, Leia found out Rey and Ren's location," Poe steps back from the hug and clamps his hand down on Finns shoulder. "Time to rally the troops and find our empress."


	14. Run Away

Ben shifts the covers up and over his arm that is chilled from the cool air coming in from the cracked balcony door of their quarters on the base. Keeping his arms wrapped around Rey's small frame, he shifts her a little closer and nuzzles his face into the back of her neck, feeling the warmth radiating off of her. 

She lets out soft little coos as she dreams, her eyelashes fluttering occasionally and her fingers twitching around his arm. Her smell is intoxicating and he can't get enough of her, trying with every fiber of his being to get as physically close as he can to her without invading her space too much and irritating her as a result. 

Just as he's about to fall back asleep, a loud crash comes from somewhere on the base, followed immediately by footsteps and yells of troopers running from their individual posts to go investigate what is going on. 

Ben quickly uncovers and takes a few quiet steps to the door, slipping through the crack they left open overnight to investigate what's going on from the balcony. From his vantage point of their private quarters, he's unable to see anything but can hear the increased volume coming from the direction of the main hanger. 

The interior door of their quarter's slams open, bouncing off the wall with a loud thud and Ben turns on his heels back into the bedroom, pulling his saber to him, and igniting it in front of his face in a swift motion. 

The red light refracts off the dented and worn masks of the knights and Ben lowers his saber with a relieved sigh, keeping it ignited due to the adrenaline coursing through him keeping him on guard.

"What's going on?" Rey demands as she gets out of bed and wraps a robe around herself in response to uninvited visitors in their bedroom in the early hours of the morning. 

"We're under attack by the resistance," Vicrul explains from behind his mask. 

"We almost snuffed them out, surely they don't have enough manpower to cause any damage," Rey reasons, moving to stand next to Ben who rests his hand on her hip and pulls her against him. Bb-D9 beeps an annoyingly fast string of noises behind them and Ben attempts to kick the droid away as a message to be quiet.

"On the contrary, it seems they have been tirelessly recruiting and have quite the fleet putting them at a larger advantage than we were expecting." 

Rey bites her lip and looks from Vicrul up at Ben, the question of what they should do etched on her face as she pulls the robe tighter around her. 

Another boom rings through the air and Rey pulls her saber to herself. "We need to go," she orders, marching into the closet and changing rapidly, not caring if she's in view of the Knights. 

Locating her combat pants, boots, and shirt, she dresses in them, covering herself head to toe in all black. Her holster that is meant for both her saber and blaster is located on the top shelf and she pulls it down to herself, securing it around her thigh quickly before concealing herself in her hooded cloak with red lining. 

Ben joins her in the bedroom after dressing as well and the Knights follow, the eight of them marching down in the hallway, their boots almost making a unified cadence on the polished metal floors. 

A door opens down the corridor followed by the heavy thud of the trooper's boots and blaster fire. Rounding the corner into the hanger to the other end, they are met head-on with a thick cloud of smoke that makes it hard to see anyone from either side of the battle. 

Ben reaches out to the side at the first sight of someone, sweeping them off their feet and dispelling them to the side, not even bothering to look to see who it was. "This way," he orders, pointing towards the direction of their transport. 

BB-D9 rolls behind her quickly as they duck behind the crates laid out throughout the hanger, maneuvering around the shrapnel left behind. His little beeps and squeals keep Rey alert to his whereabouts, almost transporting her back to working alongside BB-8.

"Rey," Ben says as he stops and grabs her hand, stopping her in place, and pulling her back down behind a crate. "Run away with me."

"What?" Rey yells, wondering if she heard him correctly over the noise. 

"I mean it, we can go back to Argent. Live alone where no one will find us. Raise our family in private."

"Ben," she says warily, alarmed by his proposition in the middle of a battle. 

"We can't raise a child here, you know that." 

A loud explosion shakes the floor of the hanger and they can hear the sound of shrapnel flying behind them. Rey looks over her shoulder at some of the running troopers then back at him, her eyes producing liquid and her frame shaking a little from the stress. 

"Rey, please. Imagine this happening once the baby is here." 

She contemplates for a moment, focusing on the swirling chaos around them that seems to continue to keep getting worse by the moment as more troopers wake up and more resistance fights push their way into the hangar. This isn’t a world for a child to grow up in, and she is well aware of that fact, even if she doesn’t want to admit it.

"Let's go. We'll discuss this further when we get there," she finally says and Ben lets out a relieved breath. 

"Get in the ship, I'll be there in a moment," Ben yells at Rey and points to their transport in front of them. He motions for three of the Knights to follow her while turning to run the opposite direction with the three others trailing him. 

Rey rushes to the transport, adrenaline coursing through her as screams and blasts erupt from all directions around her. When she's a step away from the transport, a weak force knocks her feet out, causing her to fall forward, her forehead nearly coming into contact with the floor before she catches herself just inches away. 

Rolling over and jumping up in a swift movement, she grabs her saber, igniting the two blades next to her and scanning the smoke for the attacker, ready to attack. A blue saber ignites downwards, illuminating Finn as he walks towards her, their eyes meeting for the first time since raiding the resistance base during their evacuation. 

"Finn," she acknowledges, walking to the side and staring him down in challenge, stepping into an almost choreographed rotation with him.

"Empress," he responds flatly, scanning over her with his eyes and rotating the saber without thinking about it. Rey can tell he has been trained but by how nervous he is and his inability to keep her out of his head, she can tell the training is minimal. 

"That's mine," Rey observes, looking down at the black hilt that the blue saber blade is extending from in his hand. 

"You clearly aren't needing it any longer." 

"Why are you here Finn?" She deliberately asks knowing they don't have time for niceties.

"It's time to come back." 

A smile curls at the corner of her lips as she fights back a laugh at his optimism and ignorance. "It's not that easy." 

"Yes, it is Rey. Your home is with the resistance." 

"My home is here."

"With Ren?" He bawks.

"Actually yes," she outwardly laughs now, a devilish grin forming on her face. "He is my husband after all." 

"Your husband?" Finn's mouth drops open and Rey can sense the mixture of emotions rising in him. 

"Careful Finn, giving in to anger and jealousy is a path to the dark side." 

"You should know," Finn snaps as he lunges at Rey and moves to strike her with the blue saber. Rey blocks him easily, turning a touch and stabbing the saber into his shoulder, drawing a cry of pain from Finn in response. 

"I don't want to hurt you. You need to leave."

"Not without you," he snarls through his teeth and moves to counter again with a second weak attack which Rey blocks with little effort.

"Anyways," she drawls, her tone that of boredom as she circles him, taking long, even, almost predatory strides. "The resistance would never take us back. Whoever the general is in Leia's absence would be sure of that."

"You mean myself and Poe?" 

"What?" Rey stops in place, studying Finn and looking for the lie, but he's telling the absolute truth. "You? A General? Ridiculous."

"I would have said the same thing about you actually turning, but here we are."

"Leave Finn." 

"No."

"Have it your way," she snarls, turning quickly and crashing her saber down on his, the bright eruption of their sabers momentarily blinding both of them. With another spin, she strikes again, noting how clear it is that he probably has minimal sparing practice under his belt.   
Finn lunges at her and Rey blocks once more, spinning quickly and marring his chest and up to his neck in a diagonal motion with the back end of her staff.

Finn collapses onto the ground with a weak cry of pain, clutching his arm to his abdomen and attempting to get back up quickly with the uninjured side of his body.

"Stay down," Rey orders, partially as an intimidation technique and partially because she knows Ben is approaching. Finn recognizes it too, because he lies back down, fear and hate for Kylo Ren mixing in with his pain. 

Ben appears in the smoke running towards her, his cheeks flushed and hair matted with sweat, his eyes frantically searching the scene he just encountered. "We need to leave," he breathes out as he turns to look at Finn, recognition of the traitor flashing through his mind. 

"Leave him, he learned his lesson," Rey says as she reaches out and pulls the black saber hilt that lays on the floor next to Finn to her, holstering it on her hip.

Rey follows Ben onto the transport, finding her spot in the co-pilot seat to his right as he begins flicking switches, his hands moving quickly due to muscle memory. The Knights' circle around the transport below as the wings fold down, making sure no one tries to stop them as Ben and Rey finish the preflight routine and power the ship up.

The entire base is engulfed in thin smoke outside, the outline and vague details of the ships and soldiers from both sides visible as they lift off the ground and exit over the action out of the hangar door. Ben navigates the transport up at a sharp angle, bringing it to altitude and setting the course in a rushed manner. An x-wing Rey recognizes as Poe engages with them but Ben slams the control forward into light speed, leaving the battle behind, not giving the base a second look or thought.

"What did you go back for?" Rey asks to break the silence once he has stopped fidgeting with the various controls and just stares forward, his arms crossed across his stomach and his feet kicked out in front of him. 

Ben shifts in his seat to reach under his jacket and unclip something from his belt. "This," he says simply and hands her the weapon.

Rey holds the long silver hilt in her hands, confusion swirling in her brain as she tries to figure out why Ben thought grabbing it would be a good idea. 

"Why?" 

"You never know, we might need it." 

Rey doesn't respond, just leans forward to secure the saber in a latched compartment and settles back into her seat. "So we are going to Argent?" 

"We are."

"Will we be safe there?"

Ben sighs, shifting his head to look over at her. "As safe as we can be when we're hiding from the First Order."

"But we did nothing wrong," Rey points out.

"No we didn't, but they don't take too kindly to unannounced exoduses to uncharted planets. I would know."

"Ah," Rey acknowledges, crossing her one leg over the other and looking out the front window at the blurred surroundings, her hand gravitating to her stomach unknowingly. 

"Hey," Ben says quietly and reaches out to take her hand. "It's all going to be okay."

Rey turns back to him, her eyes running across his face and observing his features, realizing she rarely takes the opportunity to slow down and observe him to this great of detail. His bone structure is harsh and his cheekbones and features protrude in emphasis from his pale ivory skin that is littered with small beauty marks, all small details that bring butterflies to life in her stomach.

Dispelling a deep sigh through her nose, she smiles a little, taking his hand and squeezing it lightly. "Okay."


	15. Scoundrel

"Ben, come to bed," Rey says in nearly a whisper from behind him where he leans over the communications table in the lower level of the house directly next to their small underground hangar.

Following the conclusion of the Battle of Canticano, Ben had flown the transport to exchange ships with the Knights, trading for a redesigned version of his previous TIE fighter that would actually fit in the small hidden hanger and had acquired holopads that they could use without the First Order knowing.

"I need to finish this before I'll be able to sleep," Ben mumbles, his eyes scanning quickly over the words displayed on the tablet in front of him, the blue light illuminating his face.

"What is it?"

"The resistance retreated once they realized we were gone. Both sides have since sent spies to look for us and report back."

"Do we know where the resistance base is yet?"

"We do not. Due to the damage the base took during the attack and the lack of Star destroyers present at the moment, we were apparently unable to track them."

"Who is this report from?"

"Lieutenant Primlos," he sighs, attempting to hide his frustration that she's making it hard for him to focus on the text in front of him.

"I thought you were about to say Pryde," Rey rolls her eyes and plops down in the chair across from him, her hands immediately moving to her stomach that is still perfectly flat. "We should really see a medic soon."

"I can arrange that," he agrees, his eyes still trained on the tablet.

"How?"

He lets out another exasperated sigh and powers the tablet down, resting it on the desk next to him and turning to her, the small desk lamp the only source of light in the room.

"We can have a medic transported to live here secretly."

"Won't that tip Pryde and the other generals off to our whereabouts."

"Not if I have the knights arrange discrete arrangements."

Rey sucks her lip into her mouth, chewing on it and squinting her eyes at him in thought. "You're going to have them kidnap a medic aren't you?"

"I don't question their methods anymore and neither should you. Trust me, I've worked with them long enough."

Rey rolls her eyes, turning in her chair and scanning the wall of old control panels and monitor screens. "Who owned this place before you?"

"A Galatic Order arms dealer."

"So how did it become yours?"

"I found it once when I was explicitly looking for a place to lock myself away in and be alone for a while. Starting in the town under disguise, I ventured into the woods despite the warnings of the locals and happened across this place. After exploring and then returning to town to ask about it, I learned it had sat abandoned for years before I found it because the locals want nothing to do with it. They claim they can feel the evil within the walls so it just laid empty. Plus, they're all too afraid of the forest to ever venture up here or even speak about what resides in the trees."

"So we don't need to worry about them tipping off the First Order or Resistance?"

"No, they are rarely aware of when I'm even here, only if I come into town, but even then, they're so frightened by me that they go above and beyond to be nice to me."

"What do you do when you go into town?" Rey asks as she stands up and moves over to him on his chair, and takes a seat sideways on his lap. Instinctively he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her to lean again his chest.

"I usually just watch shows down at the cantina, keep my head down, and blend in. Gives me a moment to feel normal again for once in my life."

"Why's that?"

"I'm the son of a princess and regarded war heroes, my life was never normal. That and my grandfather is one of the most notorious Sith Lords and my uncle is the Luke Skywalker. Living in that shadow never gave me a chance to be just Ben."

"For the record, I like it when you're just Ben."

"Good," Ben whispers, only inches from her face now that she has lightly wrapped her arms around his neck. His eyes travel down to her lips, his fingers spreading out on her side, and her thigh as he watches her mouth spread out into a small smile.

Reading his intentions, Rey leans forward, pressing her lips into his which he immediately responds to by pulling her bottom lip into his a little rougher. With intrigue, she explores his lips, feeling the plushness of his wrapped around hers, his tongue occasionally slipping into her mouth.

Rey shifts her body so she's facing him, fitting her knees in the gap between his legs and the arms of the chair on either side of him, and pressing her body against his. Bens hands find their way to her ass, his fingers tensing around her curves and pulling her upwards against him, allowing him to stand up, taking her with him.

Resting her back against the monitors, Ben uses the small ledge of the control panels to support Rey as he begins working to untie her robe, leaving her in only her sleep gown with thin straps. A sigh of contentment escapes her lips as his lips brush from up by her ears, down to her collarbone where he sucks lightly, leaving small red splotches on her skin.

Her hands travel to the bottom of his sweater and she pulls it off in a fluid motion, meeting his mouth again as soon as his head is free of the shirt, and pulling him flush against her again.

Between them, he can feel her hands working at his belt and the buttons of his pants until the waistband releases and she tugs them down, revealing him completely.

He buries his face in her neck, letting out a low groan as she takes him in her hand, the other hand moving further between his legs and massaging him lightly. Rey takes his mouth back with hers, the lust building between them as she works at him.

Lifting her butt, Ben shimmies the nightgown up and off her body, and removes her panties, discarding them on the floor. Rey's head falls back as he pushes into her, his hands supporting her neck from behind and the other stabilizing her hips as he begins a rough motion.

With each push, Rey gasps, a low moan escaping and slowly escalating as the pleasure increases, driving Ben to the brink of losing his control.

He quickens his movements, the sound audible from their bodies hitting the panels each time, accompanied by the sound of her pleasure-filled voice. "Ben," she cries out and he can feel her tightening rapidly until she finally releases, her body falling slack in his arms and her eyes rolling shut with her mouth parted open.

With a few more thrusts, he finds his own release, his body resting against hers as they both come down from their highs. Ben leans forward as they catch their breath, kissing across her collarbone and down to her aroused nipples.

"I love you," Rey whispers, drawing him back up to her level.

"I love you too," he whispers back and kisses her before hiking her up so she's wrapped around him. "But I'm not done with you yet." Supporting her by her ass, he kicks the door of the room open and heads up the stairs, skipping every other step.

—

With Rey's hand in his, Ben rushes along the busy sidewalk in the town at the base of the mountains called Iguazan. The advantage of hiding on a planet with such cold weather at all times is the ability to comfortably conceal their identity with their heavy cloaks and they both decided to take advantage of the opportunity and get out of the house.

Reaching the back door to the Cantina, Ben raps his knuckles on the door in a short pattern, keeping his face concealed by his hood. A panel on the door slides open, revealing two dark eyes sunken into deep purple skin and surrounded by harsh wrinkles.

"Come in sir," the deep voice says as Ben turns his face to the window, the tone inviting yet intimidating due to the raspiness of it. The panel of the window slides shut, followed by a loud click of the lock, and the door hinging open.

The door stays open just long enough for them to slip inside, the warmth of the room immediately seeping under their cloaks and warming them after the long walk in the cold night air.

Music from a band travels down the dark hallway, lit by lanterns at eye level on the wall. The smell of booze and burning candles fill the air and it takes a moment for Rey to adjust to breathing in the thick scent. Pushing a curtain back at the end of the hallway, they step into a darkened room with rounded booths made of worn leather and tables scattered around the outside wall and small tables with chairs in the center.

Four creatures with the same wrinkly deep purple skin sit on the stage with instruments of various sizes and shapes. The music bounces across the room, electrifying the patrons as they enjoy their drinks, some of whom have clearly consumed a little too much of their beverage of choice.

Ben motions for her to sit down when they reach a booth with high seat backs making it mostly closed off to the other customers except from a particular angle.

"You come here often?" Rey asks, shifting her cloak under her so it's not as bunched up.

"When I want to pretend I live a normal life yes," Ben says with a smirk, his fingers pulling his hood down from over his face. "You can take your cloak off. It's far too dark for anyone to recognize us. Anyways, we're on the outer rim, most citizens here aren't aware of the happenings across the rest of the galaxy."

A thin woman whose skin in the same purple color and whose features resembles a human, saunters up to their table, wearing very revealing clothes, her hair pulled back in a tight leather wrapped ponytail.

The language she speaks is unrecognizable to Rey but Ben responds with ease, ordering a drink for himself and juice for Rey.

"By her outfit, dare I ask what type of place this is?" Rey asks, scanning across the darkened room and observing the scandalous outfits and behaviors of the workers and patrons.

"It's probably best you don't," Ben chuckles and reaches over to grab her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's a popular stop for traveling smugglers and other scoundrels. There are rooms in the back that travelers can rent to stay in or use for other... activities."

"Ah, and is that what brought you here?" Rey asks with a smirk, noticing the mischievous look she just ignited in him.

Both of them pause their conversation as the woman comes back to the table, setting their two drinks down on the table and glancing at Ben, then at Rey. She holds Rey's eye contact for a second, winks with a smile, and saunters away, moving her hips a little more than is necessary.

"The activities?" Ben asks, clarifying Rey's question.

"I was more asking about the scoundrel part. This being a popular stop for scoundrels would explain your draw to it."

"Is that what you think I am?" Ben's grin grows as he looks up at Rey from his drink after taking a sip. "I don't really mind the sound of that, but if so, I guess you seem to like Scoundrels."

"I happen to like nice men," Rey retorts and takes a sip, holding his eye contact.

"I'm a nice man sweetheart."

"If you say so," she wrinkles her nose up at him and he laughs as he sits back in the seat.

"So what do you think it is?"

"Think what is?"

"The baby," Ben clarifies, scooting a touch closer and draping his arm across the seat behind her.

"From my vision, I'm assuming a girl."

"Good point. You have ideas for names?"

"I do," Rey says simply, playing with the straw and adverting her gaze from his. "But I don't want to marry myself to them by sharing. I want to meet our baby and see if the name fits."

"I like that," Ben agrees and pinches her shoulder, drawing her gaze back up to his face. Hooking his finger under her chin and pulling her gently towards him with his arm that is slung behind her shoulders, he pulls her lips to his, taking time to savor each kiss, each synchronized movement, and each breath they take in unison.

At this moment, Ben complete forgets who he is and what he's done, Kylo Ren doesn't exist to him, but right now, he's a simple scoundrel sitting in a Cantina with a pretty girl he's lucky enough to call his wife. A man, much like his own father, the man he looked up to for a short time as a child, but then spent even longer hating and swearing to never be like.

"So how do we go about getting one of those rooms?" Rey whispers against his lips, neither of them opening their eyes.

"I'll set up the arrangements," he whispers back, "in a bit, " he adds before engulfing her dainty lips in his again.


	16. Guest

After electing to stay in Iguazan for the evening, Ben and Rey wake in a small private room in the back of the Cantina featuring a smaller bed than they're used to and a small window high up on the wall leading to the street outside. A hush has fallen over the building, the occasional sound of tenants and workers leaving rooms and making their way down the hall faintly audible through the door. 

Rey lays on her back, trying to avoid the need to wake up, with Ben's head resting on her chest, his hand spread out on her stomach. The pillow behind her head provides her little support, causing her neck to ache, but she still doesn't want to move out of pure laziness.

"You know, you have a small bump forming," Ben says quietly, his hands running a circular motion across her lower abdomen.

"It's small, but there," Rey agrees while she runs her fingers around in his hair with her eyes still closed.

"How far along do you think you are?"

"I don't know actually," Rey sighs lightly, Ben's head lifting and lowering with her breath. "I don't have regular periods, never have, so it's hard to know. I'm showing more than I thought it would be already so it has to be longer than I thought."

"Have you had any symptoms?"

"Nausea here and there and I fatigue easily as you know," Rey laughs thinking about all the impromptu naps she has been taking recently.

"I sent a communication to the knights to arrange for a medic to be delivered, I'm sure they'll be able to give us more information when they arrive," Ben assures.

They lay in silence for a while, listening to the sound of conversation and footsteps outside of the room in the early morning. Rey continues running her hand around in Ben's hair, wrapping her fingers up in the strands and then releasing them again. The motion is soothing to both of them, allowing Rey to relax and nearly putting Ben back to sleep.

"Do you think our baby will be force sensitive?" Rey whispers and Ben pulls in a deep breath, giving away the fact that he was dozing off.

"I'm sure they will be," Ben whispers in reply.

"Ben?"

"Mmmm?" He mumbles, the vibration of his adam's apple tickling again her skin.

"What if I'm a bad mom," she asks, tears prickling at the back of her eyes.

Ben props himself on his elbow and looks up at her, his brow scrunched up in concern and confusion. "Now why you would think that?"

"I don't know," she mutters out of embarrassment and curls up on her side, clutching her arms around her stomach. "I never had a good mother figure in my life. I don't know the first thing about raising a child."

Ben can sense the fear in her mixed with the sadness of losing her parents at such a young age. Shifting on the bed so he's right behind her, he pulls her back tight against his stomach and engulfs her in his embrace.

"Don't be silly," he whispers into her neck. "You are so full of love, you will be amazing. Our child will love you."

"You think?"

"I know," he says with a squeeze and he can feel her shudder from tears. "I love you, Rey, you are miraculous. I thought that from the moment I met you." Ben pauses and stares at the wall over her head, running his hand up and down her arm as he thinks. "People kept telling me of 'this girl' and I was fascinated with the idea of you, but then, I encountered you in the forest, and to this day, I don't know what came over me. You consumed my thoughts, my intentions, and my moods from that point forward. I was angry I couldn't have you, embarrassed that I couldn't win against you, and distressed that I knew I was I falling in love with you despite everything I did to stifle that feeling."

Rey rolls over still wrapped in his arms, her soft tear-stained cheeks red and blotchy. With a sniff, she speaks with a wavy voice. "Really?"

"Really," he assures her gently looking deep into her eyes.

"You're too good to me," Rey whispers.

"Hardly. I've put you through hell," Ben mumbles as he drops his eyes in shame.

"I've put you through hell too," she assures him while running her hand through the front of his hair and fixing the chunk of it to lay nicer. "Let's forget about all of that. Start over."

"Start over?"

"Well, wipe the slate clean. Forget about all that negative stuff and move on."

"Just Ben and Rey," he says with a small smile.

"Ben and Rey," she agrees and gives him a quick peck. "We should get back to the house though."

"I guess," Ben groans grudgingly as he rolls over onto his back and stretches, his legs stretching out and lifting the covers before rolling back to tickle Rey, a scream escaping her lips in response. "Shhh you're so loud," he teases as he rolls on top of her and engulfs her lips with his, her arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer.

—

After the long walk up the side of the hills following the beaten down path, they reach the front door of their house. While Ben unlocks the door, Rey loudly stomps her boots on the porch, the noise echoing across the trees and back to her.

The door hinge squeaks loudly as the door opens up and the sound is continued immediately by BB-D9 who rolls frantically at them with his head down before they have a chance to step into the house.

"Whoa buddy," Ben says as he steps over the droid who is clearly upset.

"What is it?" Rey asks and squats down in from of him while he beeps furiously at her. "Yes I know, we didn't plan on staying so we didn't tell you. I'm sorry." The droid keeps going, ignoring her apology as Rey glances up at Ben who rolls his eyes back at her. "Wait what?" Rey returns her attention back to the droid, not sure if she heard it correctly. "There's someone here? Who?"

"There's someone here?" Ben repeats and unclips his saber from his belt walking down the hallway into the kitchen and sitting room.

His footsteps are slow as he steps with his heel first then rolls down to his toe before taking another step to be sure he isn't making any noise. At the corner, he peaks around slowly, scanning the room for any life, and spotting a small figure curled up on the couch.

"Mmhm," Ben clears his throat announcing his presence. The figure uncurls from under the blanket and sits up, startled, her feet coming into contact with the floor, and her hands bracing herself on the seat of the couch. "What are you doing here?" He asks curiously, looking at the small girl and making sure he keeps Rey behind him.

"I— I'm Vale," her tone is broken and scared as she regards the two figures in front of her. "You're Kylo Ren," she whispers before moving her gaze to settle on Rey. "And you're Empress Rey," she marvels with her mouth hanging open slightly.

"Who do you work for?" Rey asks, now a touch more visible, even though Ben's hand still protectively rests on her side and stomach to keep her behind him.

"I work for the First Order," she says quickly. "I don't know what happened, I went to sleep in my bed on the destroyer and woke up here."

Rey glances up at Ben, not sure what to do with that information or the girl in general.

"Please don't hurt me, I don't know why I'm here," Vale adds, her voice cracking.

"What do you do?" Rey asks stepping around Ben and closer to the girl, trying to make her posture look as friendly as possible. "What's your job within the First Order?"

"I'm a nurse."

"Ah," Rey acknowledges and sits next to her, reading her mind and determining she is in fact not a threat. "I think you were brought here for me." Vale's eyes jump from Rey's to Ben's then back to Rey's, her entire body shaking. "I'm pregnant. You're here to act as my midwife."

The girl's mouth falls open a touch in realization, followed by a small smile. "That's wonderful Ma'am."

"Thank you," Rey says kindly. "We have spare rooms we can set you up in. Have you explored our home at all?"

"No ma'am," Vale says still timidly and glances at Ben again who is standing still in the entrance to the room with his arms crossed. "I woke up here on the sofa and didn't move out of fear, at some point, I must have fallen asleep again."

"I'll show you to a room you can use as your own." Rey motions for Vale to follow her, leading her past Ben who's posture is rigid. 

'You okay?' Rey asks silently to Ben as she walks, the girl a couple of steps behind her, her dark grey outfit swishing as she walks.

'I'm fine,' he responds and she can feel the distance he is actively putting in place.

"Here's the guest room, make yourself comfortable with what you have. We can make arrangements for you to acquire more belongings if you don't have any."

"Thank you, ma'am," the girl says kindly with a nod and smiles.

The door slams to the back balcony and the entire house shakes a touch, the girl jumping in response, still uncertain of her new surroundings. Rey reaches out in the force connection looking for Ben, but he's too far gone already and she can't reach him.

"I'm sorry for him, we slept on a hard bed last evening, he's probably just tired," Rey explains and looks around the room. "There are sheets in the closet, make yourself at home."

As soon as she is out of sight of Vale, Rey rushes down the hallway towards the back balcony, trying to still locate Ben who has decided to take off into the forest. Grabbing a dry and warm cloak since her current one is soaked from their walk this morning, she sneaks out the back door, following his footsteps that are visible in the light dusting of snow, wondering just what has gotten into him and why he's acting so strange.


	17. Memory

Turning the handle slowly, Ben opens the front door of the house, hoping that both Rey and Vale are asleep by now and that he can slip in undetected. He left around lunchtime, returning to one of his favorite points of the mountains where you can see for miles. It's peaceful up there and no one else knows about his lookout point, making it one of the only places he can feel entirely comfortable and at peace.

There's movement in the kitchen which he can hear as he approaches the end of the hallway and by the lack of Rey's overbearing presence, he's under the assumption that it is Vale.

Ben ducks his head as he walks through the kitchen, hoping the new addition to their household won't pay him any attention and he can slip right past and go to bed.

"Sir," her hushed voice breaks through the silent air. "Miss Rey went to bed not too long ago, but there are leftovers from dinner if you would like me to warm them for you."

Ben turns slowly, keeping his hands in his pockets to hide the fact he has them clenched from stress and tension. "I'm quite alright," he says evenly and dismissively.

"Have you eaten anything today?" She asks simply, leaning forward on the counter.

"I have not," Ben admits, dropping his eyes from hers and shifting back on his heels.

"Then sit, I'll warm the food for you. You need your strength as well and it's my job to make sure you're both healthy."

"You're the nurse, not our servant." Ben takes a few hesitant steps back towards the kitchen and sits at one of the elevated stools, resting his elbows on the counter and leaning forward.

"Yes I know sir," she says with a small smile as she scoops long orange noodles out of a container and then ladles the soup it was in also into the pot that she already has warming up on the stove. "But your health hinges on your diet, so it's the least I can do to help."

Ben doesn't argue with her, just watches as her long slender fingers grab a glass and fill it up with water for him. "Thank you," he mumbles in response to her setting it down in front of him.

"Vale?" Ben asks quietly, watching her face that is all too familiar to him. She glances up at him with a polite and practiced smile in encouragement for him to continue. "Do you remember who you worked for before you came here?"

"I'm not sure to what you're referring?" Vale replies and looks up at him, her brow knitted together in confusion and her lips pulled into a straight line.

"You have no memory?" Ben clarifies.

Vale's face doesn't change from its confused state as she looks down at the food and mixes it on the stove. "I have plenty of memories, but I don't know what you're exactly searching for."

"Forget it, I think you remind me of someone I know."

"Okay," she smiles again and pours the noodle soup into a bowl, and slices a piece of bread off. "Careful it's hot."

"Thank you, Vale," Ben says kindly, watching the petite girl and trying not to let his mind wander.

"My pleasure. If you don't need anything else, I'm going to retire for the evening."

"I can clean up my dishes," Ben assures her while dipping the bread into the soup. "Have a good night."

"You too sir, goodnight."

Ben focuses on his food in front of him as Vale's soft footsteps get further away followed by the soft click of the door to the guest room. It has been around two years since he had seen her, and the last place he expected her to show up was in his living room, seemingly without any memory of him.

Once he has finished the noodle soup and bread, he rinses out his bowl and leaves it upside down to dry right next to the sink with the rest before going to the bedroom to join Rey.

Deep breaths followed by little coos come from Rey's side of the bed in the dark room, and he slips in behind her, trying not to wake her. Getting settled in the bed, he allows himself to sink down into the plush pillow and relax, just to be rudely brought back to reality by the light clicking on.

"Ben, where the kriff were you?" Rey demands. She's already sitting up in the bed and turned towards him, her upper body barely covered by her thin camisole.

"I went for a walk," Ben groans with his arm over his eyes.

"For 10 hours?" Rey points out looking over at the clock. "You block me out then disappear? You had me worried sick!"

"Shhhh," Ben shushes as he rolls toward her and sits up in bed. Pulling her closer by her shoulders, she relaxes enough to rest against his chest and let him wrap his arms around her. "We're not the only ones in the house anymore, you have to be quiet."

"What's going on?" She repeats again, expecting him to provide a reasonable explanation for his absence all day.

Ben let's out a slow labored breath and leans back against the wall, taking Rey with him.

"Vale and I have met before, but the thing is, she doesn't remember me."

"How did you meet?" Rey asks, having lost the angry tone to her voice but now dreading he's about to tell her Vale is a former pet.

"It's not that," Ben assures, reading her thoughts.

"Okay..." Rey trails off, heat pooling in her cheeks from embarrassment.

"She was one of the nurses on staff for the high ranking officers. We have our own private nurses and doctors as you know. After a few battles, she helped mend me together and was very calm and comforting. By far, she was my favorite and I much preferred when she was working over anyone else."

"So that's it? She was your nurse and she doesn't remember you?"

"Not quite," he pauses and she can sense the sadness in him. "I'll admit, I found her beautiful, easy on the eyes, and an ego boost to talk to, but I also wasn't the only one who felt this way about her. Hux felt this way and more about her because he fell in love with her and they had a secret relationship behind doors for what felt like years. He was a different person when she was around or when I knew she had spent time with him in his quarters, he was... happy, something he wasn't at all in the last two years of his life."

"So what happened?"

"Pryde found out and he took it upon himself to rid Hux of what he determined was an 'unfortunate distraction.' As a result, Vale disappeared suddenly one day. I assumed she was dead, especially after the destruction of Star killer base, I assumed she never got off. Her turning up here with no memory of me and seemingly Hux wasn't something I was expecting."

"So Hux was capable of emotions," Rey trails off, not knowing what else to say.

"It surprised me too," Ben admits with a small chuckle, his fingers running small circles on her bare arm. "She gave me a glimpse of what Hux was like before the first order sunk its claws into him, turning him into the shell of a man you dealt with. It was unfortunate."

"Were you two friends then?"

"I wouldn't say that. We definitely tolerated each other, the air of competition always present between us, but he was definitely much more tolerable."

Rey's fingers twitch on his side as she stares out the window on the other side of the room. "So what do we do?"

"There isn't really much to do."

"I say we don't send her back," Rey blurts out and Ben tenses.

"Like ever?"

"Correct. She can live with us, become part of our family essentially. If she's as lovely as you let on, she'll be a fine addition to a family dynamic."

"It would be nice to have a medic here," Ben agrees.

"Then it's settled, she stays."

A/N: short chapter, but the next one gets really exciting!


	18. Chapter 18

The wind picks up her cloak, blowing it out around her and making it hard for her to fight against it.

"Mommy," a small voice says and Rey runs forward, trying to follow the direction that it came from.

"Mommy," a different voice says from her left, the opposite direction from the first. She turns towards it, her eyes scanning the trees frantically in search of the child it must belong to.

A twig snaps behind her followed by a small giggle and she spins, trying to see it just in time to see a bush shake a little. Closing the gap instantly, she rifles through the leafy green bush, just to find it empty.

"Mommy, catch us," the second voice giggles, mixing in with the giggles of the first voice.

Rey places her hands to her forehead and presses into her temples out of stress, becoming overwhelmed as she tries and fails to locate these two voices.

"Rey," a voice says in the distance and she drops to her knees, listening to the giggles getting further away but the more mature voice getting closer. "Rey!" It says louder and tears start to stream down her cheeks as she comes to rest on her heels and pulls the cloak tight around her to keep out the chill pushing its way in. "Kriff Rey wake up!"

Her eyes fly open, scanning the ceiling which is illuminated by the lamp resting on the bedside table, sweat dripping down her face, and her breathing rapid. "It's okay," Bens calming voice comes from next to her and she turns her head to look at him leaning over her a touch. "You were just dreaming," he strokes her hair softly and looks up to the door. "Sorry to wake you Vale, everything is okay."

"I'll make you some camomile tea ma'am," Vale says politely from the door and Rey looks over at her as she leaves the room.

Ben helps her up to a seated position, supporting her back with one of his arms and pulling her up with the other. Rey slowly steadies her breathing, focusing on a spot at the end of their bed and the sensation of his handing running soothing tracks up and down her back.

"What was it?" Ben whispers and leans his head against hers, his cool forehead freezing cold against her hot skin.

"I-" Rey pauses and looks down at her stomach, running her hand up and around the prominent curve and letting it rest on the top with the other caressing on the bottom. "I was hearing two voices in my dream. Both of them the voices of children, and both of them calling me mommy."

"Two?"

Rey nods, still looking at her stomach. "What if it's twins Ben? What if that's the reason my stomach is so large?"

"It runs in my family, so it wouldn't be surprising," he agrees, resting his hand on the front of her stomach. A small thump comes from the inside of her stomach and kicks against his hand, followed immediately by a steady pressure as if the baby is trying to press its hand against his.

"She likes you," Rey says with a smile and looks back up at Ben whose face is lit up with excitement.

"You don't know it's a girl," he argues gently, still watching her belly which is twitching from in response to the movement inside.

"It's a feeling."

"We should send for a med droid to help with the birth," Ben mumbles as he lays her head on Rey's stomach and rubs it gently. "Vale is confident you're getting close and if it's really twins, we want to make sure we have all the tools we need."

"That's a scary thought," Rey laughs a little, feeling the baby inside shift a little in response to his even closer proximity.

"But exciting at the same time," he mumbles, his eyes closing as he takes a content sigh.

Vale slips back into the bedroom, her robe fluttering around her legs as she takes small quick steps and hands the steaming mug to Rey. "Do you need anything else ma'am?"

Rey takes a long whif of the tea and wraps her hands around the mug to warm them again now that she has cooled off. "No that's okay Vale. I appreciate you're kindness though."

"My pleasure. Good night," she says with a dip of her head and turns on her heels, pulling the door shut behind her.

Ben and Rey sit like that for a while, Ben rubbing her stomach while Rey sips the tea slowly, allowing the feeling of his hands making the circular motion to lull her nearly to sleep again. She had lost track of just how long she had been pregnant, time seemed irrelevant here in isolation, but knew that they were getting close, and every day she felt like her stomach was becoming even more impossibly large.

Her back aches constantly and her ankles have swollen to the point she doesn't fit in many of her boots, not that she had been going anywhere recently, but it was definitely becoming uncomfortable.

A tingle low in her back gets her attention paired with a throbbing in her head and she leans her head back against the wall, closing her eyes and taking deep meditative breaths like Vale had been teaching her.

She doses off, still in the seated position, her body entirely relaxed finally since waking up from her dream.

"Uh, Rey?" Ben's voice wakes her back up and she lifts her head back up, her eyebrows pinched, and eyes barely open as she regains her bearings. "There's... liquid."

Rey's eyes shoot open and she sits forward looking at what he's talking about, finding that there's a puddle that has formed between her legs. She goes to move even further but a sharp pain in her lower back where the tingle previously was stops her abruptly.

"What was that?" Ben asks, obviously aware of whatever pain she just felt.

"I think-" Rey looks around at the bed as if more answers lie there. "I think my water broke."

"You might be in labor?"

"I might be in labor," Rey confirms, panic threatening to set in.

"I'll go get Vale," Ben says and jumps up, nearly runs out of the room only wearing a thin pair of shorts just to return seconds later and throw a pair of cotton lounge pants on to make it more appropriate. "You okay?"

"Yes," Rey assures as she shifts in the bed, a small pain which she assumes is a contraction presenting itself and then disappearing. "Go."

Moments later, Vale rushes into the room, having since changed into a medical scrubs and pulling her hair back into a braid that trails down her back as she walks.

"How do you feel Rey?" She asks as she starts gathering sheets and pillows from the top of the closet.

"I'm okay, I think I just had a contraction but it was small," Rey explains as Ben comes back into the room still half-dressed and sits down on the bed next to her.

"Okay, I'm going to check your dilation, but you can just relax, it'll be a while still," Vale explains calmly and helps Rey lay back comfortably and set her legs up. "You're further dilated than I would have expected already, but it'll still be a bit."

"What can I do to help?" Ben asks, sitting next to Rey on the bed and taking her hand.

"Walking will be good for her actually, she'll need your support though especially when she gets a contraction. I'll get the room set up in the meantime."

Ben assists Rey out of the bed, knowing that the weight she's carrying right now makes it difficult for her to do just about anything. Holding tightly onto his hand, she walks with him, the robe that is loosely tied in front of her because it barely reaches around the size of her stomach flows around her and obscures her hands inside the long thick sleeves.

They make multiple laps up and down the hallway and through the larger living space, taking slower and slower steps as Rey starts to feel the effects of labor kicking in more.

At Vale's instruction, Ben helps her back onto the bed that has been stripped of their normal sheets, replaced by older, more worn bedding and a waterproof pad underneath to protect the mattress.

"Alright Rey," vale mumbles as she checks Rey's dilation from the foot of the bed. "I think we're ready to push. Ben, I need you behind Rey to support her back as I showed you last week."

Slipping his shoes off, Ben crawls in behind Rey, straddling her and backing himself up against the wall of pillows that has been created. Her body radiates heat, a clear effect of how much her body is working right now, but he pulls her close, and she rests her arms over his legs.

Rey pushes for what seems like ages to him, letting out guttural screams and squeezing Ben's hands with everything in her with each push before slumping back to catch her breath. Through the force connection, he can sense how much pain she is in, wishing endlessly that he could take it away from her.

"Alright, give me one more push," Vale coaches from the end of the bed and Rey groans, her head leaning back on Ben's shoulder as he blots at her forehead with a wet cloth.

"You can do this, you're so strong," he whispers into her ear. "I love you so much."

Rey sits up, pushing with all of her strength and yelling through the pain, stopped short by the sound of a baby's cry breaking through the air as its lungs come into contact with air for the first time.

Vale stands up from the end of the bed, holding a small bundle with a little hand sticking out. She quickly uses a suction device to clean out the nostrils and the ears of the baby which just elicits more frantic cries from the baby. "Ben, I need you to hold her, I'm pretty certain there's another baby in there and it's going to be in distress soon if we don't get it out."

Ben responds quickly, crawling out behind Rey and shifting the pillows for her to lean against as Vale hands the bundle off. He barely has time to take in the small crying face before he moves back to Rey and takes her hand with his free hand. Pure exhaustion is etched across her tear-stained face, and she stares into his eyes. "One more Rey, you can do it."

Rey nods once and then sits forward, pushing until another cry rings out, announcing the arrival of the second baby, who up until a few hours ago, they had no inclination that it existed. Ben turns and rests on the bed, pulling the blanket back to look at the soft face of baby number one that has since calmed.

Reaching out with shaky and exhausted hands, Rey takes the bundle in her arms, unwrapping her a little to rest on her chest which she has pulled the fabric of her dress back from. "Kira," Rey says, tears of happiness replacing her tears of pain.

"Number two," Vale says and hands a second bundle to Ben who holds the baby tight and sits back on the end with Rey. "It's a boy."

"Zyan," Rey says and looks up at Ben who nods back at her in agreement.

"I love it," he says with a smile, his finger reaching out to stroke the cheek of the little pink-skinned baby who is slowly calming down. Zyan's face scrunches up a little at the touch, his eyes opening for a second before pinching shut in response to the bright light of the room.

Rey on the bed, leans forward, planting her lips softly on the head of Kira who is curled up on her bare chest, skin to skin, her little pudgy hands tucked under her chin.

Ben uses the washbasin to clean up Zyan while Vale continues to work to stitch Rey up while she snuggles with Kira, completely consumed by exhaustion and love. Zyan cries a half effort cry of annoyance as Ben takes a rag and dabs his soft pink baby skin until it is completely clean.

Once Zyan is completely cleaned, Ben returns to Rey, resting him on her chest and wrapping Kira back up to carry her to the washbasin. Rey immediately cuddles up with Zyan who she hasn't held yet, even more love overtaking her, and more tears forming in her eyes.

"Hi sweetheart," Ben whispers as he looks at the soft face framed by a dusting of raven hair and lowers her into the clean washbasin.

"Ben," Vale's urgent voice breaks his attention. "She's hemorrhaging. She's losing too much blood."

He spins on his feet, holding Kira close to him and looking at Rey who's eyes have since rolled back and is slipping away. For a moment, his world stops, watching her teetering on the edge of consciousness and threatening to leave him too soon.

"Hold them," he orders and hands Kira to Vale who has already taken Zyan from Rey's slack arms.

"What?"

"Just trust me, I got this."

Ben pulls the sheet back from Rey, exposing her stomach that has shrunk in size, and sets his hand on her hot skin. Closing his eyes, he focuses his energy, harnessing it all together in a ball, and infusing it into her. He can physically feel his life force wrap itself around hers, a small amount of energy leaving him and spreading through her. The color returns to her cheeks like paint spreading in water and her body stills, her eyes staying closed for a moment before fluttering open again, and her hand meeting his on her stomach.

"Oh thank my maker it worked," he sighs out in relief as her eyes meet his and his heart can beat normally again. Ben leans down to hug Rey, being sure to not squeeze her too hard as her body is probably still very tired.

"How-" Vale studders, still holding the babies to her and observing Rey who is healed from labor between her legs and is more awake than she was before. "How did you do that?"

"I transferred a bit of life from myself to her," Ben explains and takes the babies back from the shocked medic. Propping himself so Rey is leaning against him under his arm, he passes Zyan gently back to her and rests Kira on his leg so the two babies are laying almost right next to each other.

"That would have been good to know," Vale mutters as she pulls the blanket down over Rey's legs again. "I'll leave you two alone for a while and will come back to check vitals for you three later."

As the door clicks, Rey leans her head against Ben's shoulder, snuggling up closer to him and taking in the sight of the two little additions to their family. The two babies have an impressive amount of hair on their heads, Kiras which is Raven colored like Bens, and Zyan's which a dark brown closer to Rey's. Their little eyes rest shut now that they have calmed down from the events prior that resulted in them being passed quickly between adults and their plump little lips both rest partway open.

"I never knew I could love something or someone so much only moments after meeting them," Rey whispers, emotions pressing to escape even more now that she is so exhausted.

"It's a wild thought, but I agree," Ben whispers back. "You did so well." He turns his head and presses a kiss into the side of her head which she leans into a touch. "I love you."

"I love you too," Rey whispers back and snuggles back into him, pulling Kira and Zyan a little tighter against them.


	19. Heroes

_Time jump: six years_

Rey stands alone in the darkened hallway outside of the kid's room, watching through the crack in the door as Ben play fights with them when he's supposed to be putting them to bed. He knows that rilling them up like that isn't the best idea, yet whenever it's his turn to do bedtime, he almost always ends up tussling with them for some time before tucking them in.

' _Ben_ ,' Rey warns through their force connection, causing him to look over his shoulder and meet her eyes through the crack of the partially opened door.

' _I thought you were going to stop spying on me?'_ He responds to her and shoots her a grin over his shoulder. Rey shakes her head at him with a smile and walks back down the hallway accepting momentary defeat.

"Alright monsters, bedtime!" She hears Ben yell followed by the sound of their little giggles as he force throws them onto their separate beds like always.

The giggles subside a little and Rey walks back down the hallway, stopping far enough away from the door that Ben hopefully won't detect her, but close enough she can still hear them.

"Daddy, are you going to tell us a story like mommy does?" Little Kira's voice asks, the sleepiness evident in her tone now that she's snuggled into bed.

"Sure sweetheart," Ben agrees and she can hear him moving around the room until he finally takes a seat, washing the house in silence again as the kids wait for their story. "I'm going to tell you a story that my Uncle Luke always told me when I was little and that was told to him when he was your size by the man I'm named after."

"Did you know him?" Zyan asks.

"My uncle Luke?"

"No, the man you're named after," Zyan giggles a little, and Rey assumes Ben just made a face at him or tickled him.

"I never met the original Ben, but your grandma always told me about him. Actually, the story is about a friend of his. She was a skilled warrior who used not one but two lightsabers."

The children 'oooo' at him and Rey can just imagine the faces they're making in amazement. Her mind trails off as Ben talks, recounting the stories of Ashoka and his Grandfather Anikan before his turn to the Darkside.

After the children were born, Ben and Rey had made the decision to not tell the kids about the dark and light side but would instead save it until they were a little older. There was no need for them to be concerned with the natural divide formed in the force and which side their parents fell on. Rey had tried desperately to convince Ben to not tell the real stories of the Jedi that came before them as most of the stories involved fighting the "bad guys" and she feared how their children would react when they grew up to learn that the "bad guys" were people like their parents.

Of course, they knew of the force and knew of their own powers but knew they also weren't allowed to use the force unless they are being supervised. Only 'experienced force users' over the age of 14 were allowed to practice and use their powers alone according to the rules Ben made up.

The children only being six haven't explored their powers much past learning how to make things levitate and how to pull things to themselves. Occasionally she would catch Kira being lazy and pulling toys to herself while she played, but Zyan was the rule follower who rarely broke the rules and always tried to stay inside the lines.

Despite being twins, Rey and Ben had quickly learned that they possessed two very different personas. Zyan is a true mamas boy, always wanting to please her, following all the rules, and always gravitating to Rey over Ben whenever she came into the room. Rey sees Zyan as her mini Ben as he grows into his sharp features slowly, has the same shaped eyes despite them being the same hazel color as Rey's, and thick hair that frames his face softly just like his father's.

Kira on the other hand is the rebellious one, the one that clearly embodies equal parts of Rey and Kylo put together. Even though she is aware of rules, she likes to push them, seeing just how far she can go before she gets in trouble. Of course, she's acutely aware that Ben favors her and rarely disciplines her, making Rey the bad guy and putting more stress on Rey and Kira's relationship as a result.

"When do we get lightsabers?" Kira asks, her small voice back to sweet and innocent.

"When you're old enough," Ben says calmly back. "Not yet though."

"I want to hold my saber like Ashoka," Kira adds.

"That's fake, she didn't really hold it like that," Zyan argues and Rey smiles at their small disagreement.

"Shut up, what do you know?" Kira yells at him.

"More than you," Zyan yells back.

"Nuh uh, I'm older."

"By a minute!"

"Alright that's enough, let's call mom to come say goodnight," Ben interrupts and Rey tries to sneak back down the hallway. "Since she's still right outside the door," he adds and Rey stops mid-step, knowing she's caught.

"Mommy!" Zyan yells to get her to come to the room and she turns, a smile pulling at her lips in response to his little voice.

"You don't sound like you're ready for bed," Rey teases as she walks in and sits down on the side of Zyan's bed across from Ben.

"I'm sorry mommy, I'll go right to sleep," Zyan says as he wiggles down under the covers, his little hazel eyes peeking out at her over the sheet.

"Okay time to sleep," Ben says and leans over Kira to give her a quick kiss on the forehead and then switches places with Rey once she has tucked Zyan in.

This had become their routine, one of them gets the kids settled down for bed, and then the other one would come to say goodnight. It gives them both a little one on one time with the kids and Rey looks forward to every night that is hers.

"So," Ben prompts as they walk into the kitchen and they've confirmed that Vale is back in her room after cleaning up from dinner.

"So," Rey responds as she removes a glass jar from the chiller and pours the contents into two glasses.

"When are you going to let go of the reigns enough to let me do bedtime alone?"

"It's not that I don't trust you, Ben," Rey trails off.

"That's exactly what it is, you don't trust me. You're scared I'm going to bring up the light side of the force."

"To be fair, you did bring up the light side of the force tonight," she points out and hands a filled glass over to him.

"It's a legend Rey, she's long gone."

"If you paint these ideas of hero's and heroines in their heads, they're going to want to be like them. How do we explain to them that those idols you've been building up in their heads actually fought against people like you and me?"

"Last time I checked, you were one of those heroines," Ben says matter-of-factly, referencing the Resistance wins against the First Order.

"And don't forget, that so were you," she disputes.

"Temporarily."

"But it happened. You defeated one of the bad guys. In their minds, you're a hero."

Ben swirls his drink, observing how the liquid leaves a film on the walls of the glass while thinking. "Is there something wrong with that?" He finally asks.

"With being a hero?" Rey verifies and he nods. "Depends on which side you're on," she shrugs.

"And what side are we on?"

"I would say the other side. The dark side Ben, the side you fought so hard to get me to."

"What if we left?"

"You can't be serious?" Rey laughs and leans forward on the counter, trying to detect the bluff in his expression.

"I'm dead serious Rey."

"No," she says simply and stands back up, returning to her glass and swirling it before taking a drink. "We're comfortable, why would I willingly return to fighting the First Order and waiting for them to kill me at every turn. That's not a glamorous way to live."

"You misunderstand me," Ben stands up and walks around the counter, clasping her face in his hands. "We don't go back, we stay here, we live a neutral life as boring Ben and boring Rey with their two kids and their nanny Vale."

"What is going on with you?" Rey pinches her eyebrows together out of confusion and pulls back from him a touch.

"You can't tell me life hasn't been great since we came here. It's been almost seven years, and they've left us alone."

"That's because they can't find us."

"At this point, they surely can't still care to find us."

Rey crosses her arms in front of her, trying to see through his outer expression and understand what's going on in his head.

"Rey, we can live in peace here. We won't need to worry about our children or the vision you had. This is how we stop that from coming true."

"You can't use that against me," Rey whispers, tears forming in her eyes as she sees the vision playing in her head again.

"I'm not trying to, but I can't imagine the thought of leaving you alone. I almost lost you, and it was the scariest moment of my life. The idea of not having you with me was terrifying." Ben reaches out and grabs her waste lightly again, pulling her against his front, and wrapping his arms around her. "Please, just stay here with me."

"Forever?"

"I would like that," he whispers, leaning down and kissing her forehead which she leans into and closes her eyes.

Rey takes a deep breath in, her chest rising and falling and her breath moving the hair that falls next to her face a little. With her forehead still against his lips, Rey nods slightly, everything in her still fighting to resist. Ben laughs a little and picks her up, his arms supporting her butt, and kisses her happily before setting her back down.

"Boring Ben and boring Rey," she whispers.

"The most boring," he echoes.  
  



	20. People Like Us

Rey sits on the back balcony next to Vale, both of them covered by a heavy blanket that is stretched across their laps and sipping tea that Vale had made for both of them. Kira and Zyan run around below them, dodging in and out of the trees and sparring using the training sticks Ben had made for them by a local craftsman in town.

Rey observes their skill silently, ready to give them pointers when they tire enough to stop for a drink of water. Zyan is still small, his height and muscle mass not filling out yet in his 10 year old body. Kira on the other hand is starting to sprout, giving her a few inches on Zyan which she likes to rudely remind him of despite Ben and Rey's constant explanation of how different genders grow at different speeds and that he'll eventually catch back up to her. Nevertheless, Kira is acutely aware of the fact that bringing up the height difference is a quick way to upset her brother and fuel his temper they all know lurks right below the surface of that sweet face.

Kira is much less subtle when it comes to her temper, oftentimes being referred to as a wrecking ball by Vale when she gives updates on the children's behavior after Rey and Ben take the occasional trip to town for the evening. Unable to control her anger, she often lashes out, both physically and emotionally towards whoever is present, and as a result, often needs to be restrained by her parents. While it just makes her even angrier, both Rey and Ben get quite a kick out of casually reclining in the sitting room and completely restraining her with little effort with the force.

Ben has been gone for a few days, out retrieving presents for the twins tenth birthday, the birthday that Rey and Ben had promised a big present for. Of course, the kids have asked daily, if not multiple times a day about the present, and what exactly it is since they learned of this exciting mystery.

Vale has spent the entire day in the kitchen preparing for the birthday dinner tonight, finally getting a chance to sit and relax while the dinner cooks. Rey is thankful for her presence, giving her a built-in friend to fill the ever-present desire for companionship outside of her romantic and parental relationships.

The back door to the house opens followed by Bens's boots as he steps out announcing his arrival back home. His hands grasp Rey's shoulder's lightly from behind and he leans down to kiss the top of her head.

"How long have they been at this?" Ben asks as he walks around to another chair and sits to watch the kids still sparing below.

"Probably an hour," Rey responds and looks over at him, noticing how long his hair is getting again and how she should probably cut it for him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," he smiles and reaches out to take her hand. "Are you ready to go prepare their gifts?"

"Yeah," Rey agrees and turns to her friend. "Vale, can you watch them for a bit, this shouldn't take long."

"Well, it might," Ben corrects and Rey looks at him, raising an eyebrow slightly at him.

"No problem," Vale chuckles. "Take your time, I can have them come in and help me set the table and frost their cake. It'll keep them busy."

"Excellent," Ben says and stands, pulling Rey up as well and with him into the house.

"What are you so anxious about?" Rey teases as she follows him through the house and down the stairs into the office connected to the hangar.

"Just excited to see you and prep the presents," Ben answers quickly, glancing over his shoulder with a devilish grin.

"Uh huh," she acknowledges, not completely believing him.

Ben holds the door to the room open and Rey sneaks past him, immediately getting the box containing the saber hilts out from the locked drawer they've been hiding them from the kids in. The door's lock clicking shut behind her catches her attention and she smirks a little.

Setting the box on the table, she unlocks it, handing Ben the silver hilt that he went back to retrieve before leaving Cantonica. Leaning over the table, he works to open the compartment on the hilt and motions for Rey to hand him the black hilt she had taken back from Finn the same day.

From under his overcoat, he pulls out a small bag, dumping two bleeding red kyber crystals onto his hand. "The first one was easy, the second one was stubborn and almost delayed my arrival."

"They're beautiful," Rey marvels, taking one from him and swapping it with the crystal that previously resided in the hilt.

Ben mirrors her actions, swapping the other crystal in the silver hilt, and securing the hatch to the compartment tight enough that it'll be hard to open them again.

Retrieving the two small wooden boxes that Ben had made by the craftsman, he sets the sabers in them separately and pushes them to Rey to seal. Rey watches him out of the corner of her eye while she works, watching as he lifts the pure crystals up in front of his face, a hint of sadness present as he observes every little detail of them.

"Ben?" Rey asks, breaking him out of his trance and drawing his attention back down to her as he quickly shoves the crystals into a small box with a latch. "You okay?" She adds to her questioning tone, acutely aware of how strange he is acting.

"Yeah," he blurts out and runs his hand back through his hair. "Yeah, I'm good." He says in addition and an awkward smile forms on his face. "Did I mention I missed you?" Ben rounds the table and leans against it, pulling her to him to lean against his front.

With his arms draped around her, his hands find a spot on her lower back, allowing her to lean back a touch and look at him.

"You did, but I don't mind hearing it again," Rey says softly and runs her hand up into the hair that falls around his face. "We should go back upstairs."

"Vale can handle them," he whispers and leans forward, his lips brushing hers softly and sending an electric charge through her.

"You're trouble," Rey teases and Ben smiles.

"You've known that since the day we met babe," he teases back and connects their lips, both of them sucking in air through their noses and pulling their bodies closer.

"You make a very convincing argument," Rey mumbles as he moves down her neck, sucking lightly at her skin, and she works to untuck his shirt from his pants.

"Good," he says with a laugh and pushes her gently back onto the table.

—

"Dad guess what we found yesterday?" Zyan asks excitedly across the dinner table. For the entirety of dinner, the kids have been filling Ben in on all the small details that he missed while he was gone, giving Rey and Vale a chance to not have to entertain them for the first time in days.

"What bud?" Ben asks with a mouthful of food and Rey scolds him silently from the other side of the table.

"Another lava chasm!" Kira pipes in, stealing Zyan's moment.

"Mom!" Zyan yells, expecting her to interject and scold Kira.

"Kira, let your brother tell the story, you told the last one," Rey mumbles and takes a drink out of her glass and catches Ben's eye. He winks at her as the kids continue their bickering, but she can't hear them. Instead, she's focused on the mischievous look he's giving her, and the memory of their sweaty bodies down in the office a short time earlier.

"Mom," Kira repeats.

"I'm sorry honey, I zoned out.." Rey shakes her head a little to bring herself back to reality. "What's going on?"

"Dad said we can open our presents as long as you're okay with it."

"Oh, here, yes," Rey rambles trying to regain her composure and gets up to grab the two boxes.

The craftsman Ben had hired had carved their names into the lid of the box, a beautiful scroll font that is lighter than the dark wood which he sourced from the trees right outside the house.

"Okay, open them," Ben says and the kids both anxiously flip the latches open, both of their mouths falling open in shock. In a jumble of words and screeches of excitement, they both remove the sabers from the boxes, moving the long metal hilts around to look at them.

"Can we try them out?" Kira asks and turns to Ben.

"We'll take you outside and let you ignite them before bed tonight, but first ground rules," Ben starts. "These are not toys, they are dangerous and deadly weapons. They should only be used during training with mom and me, or for self-defense."

"You do not ignite them in the house and never when one of us is near you, you understand?" Rey adds and stares them both down.

Both of the kids look at her and nod, the clear excitement within them barely contained and trying to burst through.

"What color are they?" Zyan asks.

"They're red like your mothers and mine," Ben answers, sipping on his drink.

"Is that the color they all are?"

Ben glances up at Rey then back at the young boy trying to find the exact right words to say.

"That's the color that people like us have," he explains simply and hopes the vague answer is enough to satisfy their curious minds.

"Did Ashoka have a red saber? I want one like her!" Kira pipes in and Rey catches Ben's eye across the table again.

'I told you,' Rey warns through the force connection.

"Told him what?" Kira pipes in and both Ben and Rey look at her in shock.

"You heard that?" Rey clarifies, her mouth hanging open a touch.

"Yeah," Kira shrugs, playing with the latch on the box that sits behind her black saber hilt.

"Did you hear that too?" Ben asks Zyan who is waiting patiently for everyone to go outside and nods in response to Ben. "How long have you been able to hear us?"

"A couple of weeks," Kira answers. "Usually it's just you two talking about our bedtime or you telling mom that she looks really pretty so we didn't really think anything of it."

"Well, there goes that," Ben chuckles looking over at Rey knowing it's useless and they can't communicate silently anymore.

"I guess this is to be expected in a family of force users," Rey adds and looks at the two kids who are enthralled with their sabers and the storage boxes. "Should we go outside so you can see them?"

"Yes!" They both yell in unison, pushing their chairs out and running for the door.

"Not so fast! Thank Vale for dinner first!" Ben yells after them.

Both of the kids come rushing back into the dining room and take turns giving Vale a hug and mumbling a thank you to her before running back out of the room.

"Thank you, Vale, the dinner was amazing as always," Rey says graciously as she collects the dirty plates and silverware.

"Don't worry about that, I'll get it," Vale responds, moving quickly to collect the dishes before Rey can.

"Thank you for dinner," Ben adds with a small nod in Vale's direction. Even in the ten years, she has been here with them, he hasn't fully relaxed around her, still unable to let go of her lack of memory and his clear memory of her past.

"I'll meet you out there," Rey calls behind Ben and carries the plates to the kitchen, Vale rushing around her and still insisting that she has it handled. "Vale, let me help, you spent all day preparing dinner, it's the least I can do to help."

"Okay," Vale finally concedes and begins to fill the sink up with water.

Once the sink is filled with warm sudsy water, Vale takes her place in front of it, her sleeves rolled up, and washes each one with care while Rey waits for her to hand over a plate to dry.

"Can I ask you something?" Rey finally says to break the silence.

"Anything," Vale prompts and glances up at Rey.

"What did you do before you worked for us?"

"I know I was a nurse, but I don't know in what department. It's all pretty fuzzy because I have a pretty bad memory," she shrugs but doesn't think anything of it. "What about you?"

"Oh, I grew up in a junkyard in Jakku actually," Rey answers.

"I thought you were the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine though?"

"Uh yes, I am," Rey stutters looking for an explanation. "It's a long complicated story centered around my parents and my grandfather's inability to see eye to eye. It ended up with me being dumped out in the desert until I was rescued and found my way off that planet."

"By Ben?"

"Something like that," Rey lies.

"Your relationship is so inspiring, I can only wish to have something like what you two have," Vale continues without any prompting from Rey. "Of course, I'm of an age where that is highly unlikely to find, having just graduated from my prime childbearing years."

"Have you ever been in love Vale?" Rey asks.

"I don't think so, I think I would remember that," Vale stops scrubbing for a moment and looks forward, a smile present on her lips. "I have a vague memory of this man, he was so lovely and gentle with me, but I really think it was just a dream, not an actual memory."

"Do you remember what he looked like?"

"Kind of. He was tall, fair skin, the most beautiful blue eyes, and fire-red hair. Occasionally I still see him in my dreams and I hang on to those for everything I'm worth," her smile grows and she looks over at Rey. "I think those dreams are the closest I'll ever get to love, but they are so amazing."

Tears threaten to push through Rey's eyes as she regards her friend, knowing that Vale is remembering Hux and the relationship she had with him in real life. "It sounds like it," Rey responds quietly, trying to push the image of Hux's death at her hands completely out of her head and turns her head away from Vale as they finish the dishes.


	21. More

"Ready?" Ben smirks at Rey, with his hand behind his back holding his saber.

"Ready," she responds returning the smile and leaning forward towards him in challenge.

"You know I'll win every time," he teases and leans forward.

"We'll see," she teases back and gives him a quick peck on the lips before they both take their stances and ignite their sabers.

The red sabers crackle and pop next to them, and they circle around each other taunting the other one and waiting to see if the other will strike first.

"I bet mom will win," Zyan says to Kira and Rey winks at Ben.

"No, dad is stronger, he'll win," Kira argues.

Ben spins his saber next to him, giving Rey a chance to strike. She stabs her saber in, breaking his rhythm, and causing a clash between the two of them. Two little giggles erupt from the kids as they clap and 'ahhh' at the bright spark. They have watched Ben and Rey train countless times before but the kids had never witnessed them sparring with their actual sabers.

She advances on him, spinning her saber in a practiced and effortless pattern, catching his eye occasionally and grinning back at him. His blows against her saber are powerful, knocking her nearly off-balance each time and igniting an even greater fire to propel herself with.

Finally Ben stumbles after Rey lays three quick hits on his saber, leaving little time for him to compose himself. She kicks into his chest, something that has become one of her signature moves, making him stumble even further back until he eventually lands on his back.

"Ha!" Zyan yells. "I knew mom would win."

Rey laughs as she disengages her saber and clips it onto her belt before outstretching her hand to help Ben up. With a quick tug, Ben pulls her down to his level, her small body colliding with his.

"Ben Solo!" Rey yells in shock and grabs a handful of snow which she smashes into his face.

Zyan and Kira sprint towards their parents on the ground and propel themselves on top of them, joining them in a tangle of arms and legs with giggles.

"Group hug," Ben yells as he attempts to wrap his arms around all three of them and they fight to throw snow back at him. "Okay, that's not working!" He yells as he rolls them over, pinning Rey and Kira and tickling their sides. The two giggle and fight to get away as Zyan jumps on Ben's back, trying to hold him in a chokehold, despite being not even half of his size. "Oh my gosh, he's got me," Ben fakes as he falls back softly, trapping Zyan under his weight.

"I'll help you Zy!" Kira giggles as she pulls on Ben's hand with no success and Rey leans back on her gloved hands watching him tussle with the kids.

"Oh, my maker! She's so strong!" Ben yells as he boosts himself forward and sits up, releasing Zyan who jumps back on his back. "I can't fight both of them!" Ben stands up with Zyan still on his back and picks Kira up under his arm, charging back up towards the house.

The two kids kick their legs and fight to get away, but Ben is completely unphased. "I'm so tired," he fake yawns as he drops to his knees. "I think I should take a nap." He lays on his side in the snow, grabbing Zyan and wrapping him in his arms with Kira, and closes his eyes while making fake snoring noises.

"Mom!" Zyan giggles, still trying to get away, and Rey walks over to them with a smile plastered on her face.

"Alright you monsters, let's get back to training, playtime is over," Rey says as she stops and stands over them, her arms crossed in front of her stomach. "That includes you too," she says right to Ben.

"Awww you're no fun," Ben teases as he releases the kids and rolls onto his back, grinning up Rey and winking.

Rey sticks her hand out and Ben takes it, allowing her to help him up this time. "You know that's not true," she whispers close to his face.

"Oh?" He asks, a smile crinkling his cheeks up even more.

"Don't believe me?" Rey questions and Ben shrugs. "Guess I'll have to remind you later."

"Oh, please do," Ben says and kisses her quick before turning back to the kids.

"Get your sabers please," Rey says to the kids as she walks back to them, brushing the snow off her clothes. Both of them rush to their boxes sitting on a flat rock and remove the two hilts.

"First thing first, the history of your sabers," Ben begins once both of the kids are standing in front of them again. "These two sabers are very important to us. Kira, yours was designed and made by Mom to replace her original saber. She collected the metal and taught herself how to build it."

Kira looks down at the black saber hilt, then back up at Rey, a big smile on her face, and Rey winks back at her.

"Zyan, your saber was my Grandfather's saber and the saber that your mom used first. It actually called to her, and that's sort of how we met."

"Cool!" Zyan says and looks down at the silver saber hilt in his hand.

"Okay, now basic handling," Ben begins as he ignites his own saber, illuminating all of their faces in red, the children's faces lighting up in awe as they always do.

Rey makes her way up to the back balcony, where Vale stands and watches them, taking her place next to her friend who has an extra mug of tea all ready for her. Sipping tea while Ben trains the kids has become a normal habit for the two and Rey much prefers observing from a distance and sharing her observations with Ben later to inform the next training session.

With Ben's prompting, Zyan ignites his saber, the red blade extending out in front of him as he holds it stagnantly, his feet planted firmly on the ground, and his posture rigid.

"Okay Kira," Ben says and a red blade extends from the black hilt Rey remembers herself losing many nights sleep over when she couldn't quite figure something out using the old instructions she had.

It was a surprise to her when Finn showed up with her saber. She was impressed that he figured out how to complete it, yet angry that he just assumed it was now his in her absence.

Occasionally, she can feel Finn still trying to reach her, his presence growing stronger within the force and becoming much more obvious every time he reaches out. She can't deny that part of her misses the resistance but mostly just her friends that she left behind. Here she's comfortable and happy with her little family, and she can't even imagine ever willingly leaving that behind.

Ben activates the little training droids that he had acquired on one of his supply runs. Knowing they need at least a little income, Ben had started completing simple smuggling jobs for someone down in Iguazan, requiring him to be gone for a couple of days at a time, but he always comes back with goodies for the kids, or new clothes for Rey and Vale to make up for his absence.

The little droids whir around both of them quickly, both Zyan's and Kira's eyes obscured by a helmet much like the one that she used while training with Leia. Ben stands in the middle of them, making sure they stay away from each other in their temporarily blinded state.

"They're growing so fast," Vale marvels, watching as they both handle the sabers significantly different, but block the little blasts from the droid with ease.

"They really are," Rey agrees with a sigh. "I swear, just yesterday they were curled up in my lap and relying on me to take care of them, but now they're their own little independent mini-adults."

"Are you going to have any more?"

"Definitely not, we've been making sure of that," Rey laughs. "I honestly didn't even know if I wanted them to begin with, but now that I have them, I can't imagine life any other way."

"Fair enough, I just noticed how happy you are with them, didn't know if you were planning on more."

\--

Ben releases a deep sigh, shifting Rey on his front where she leans. The warm water laps up around his arms, just barely covering Rey breast in front, and skimming his knees that hardly fit under the water. The water is still warm but has chilled slightly since they climbed in a while ago, but neither of them has found the drive to get out and add more hot water.

"What's on your mind love?" Ben asks in a whisper knowing that Rey is stuck in her head.

"Vale asked if we were going to have more kids today," Rey sighs through her nose as she tells him what's bothering her.

"And what did you say?" Ben prompts after a moment of silence, knowing this is a touchy topic for her.

"I quickly said no," Rey admits. "And that we have been actively making sure we don't."

"We have?" Ben laughs, thinking about how reckless they've been in their private escapades.

"I have, I don't know about you," Rey teases back.

"No, we have, but I'm shocked there hasn't been another mistake."

"Maybe we don't refer to them as mistakes," Rey mumbles, feeling uncomfortable by that word.

"I didn't mean that having them was a mistake Rey," Ben assures her and tightens his arms around her. "I just meant that they weren't planned. We weren't trying, we were a couple of reckless, horny, newlyweds."

"Me or you?" Rey laughs.

"I think that was a two-person effort goofball," Ben mumbles and cranes his head around to nibble gently on her ear.

"If you say so." Rey rests her head back against Ben's collarbone, her mind wandering to the night she killed Hux again, the shock that came over her and kept her from functioning to a normal level. He had been so timid when they got back, but she was just starved for that comfort and physical touch, that she threw all hesitations out the window. She had ended up asleep in his arms much like she is now, finding comfort in him when everything else seemed to be chaos around her.

Those first few months together were stressful and challenging, both of them feeling each other out and just trying to learn about the other. Never did she imagine their lives taking the turns that they have, but in the end, walking away from the Resistance and shortly after, the First Order, had been the best decisions she could have made for her overall happiness in the long run.

"Even though we're not having more," Ben whispers directly into her ear, his breath tickling on the sensitive skin right below her earlobe. "Maybe we should practice just in case."

"Hmmm, you bring up a good point," Rey agrees with a grin as she turns, the water sloshing as she moves and settles herself on his lap.

"I only have good ideas," he teases, his face crinkling on his cheeks as he smiles up at her.

"Not true, but I'll let you get away with that statement for now," Rey counters and leans forward into him, wrapping her hands up around the back of his neck, and closing her fingers around the dark clumps of his hair.


	22. Cooperate

"Kira let's go!" Rey yells from the front door that is wide open behind her. Turned towards a mirror on the wall right inside the front door, she fixes her hair, securing it on the back of her head and pulling a few small chunks out to frame her face. The woman staring back at her is more weathered and matured, a couple of small grey hairs sprinkle the brown color.

The sounds of footsteps echoes through the house followed by Kira yelling something at Zyan and the sound of a lightsaber being ignited.

"Hey! No sabers in the house!" Ben yells as he steps back into the house past Rey and storms down the hallway to their bedroom. Rey watches him, noticing his hair that is starting to sprinkle with grey as well, slowly causing him to look more and more like his father especially as the lines and wrinkles on his own face become more pronounced.

"Dad come on!" Kira protests as Ben exits the room, a black hilt in his hand that he passes to Rey. "That's not fair, Mom never gives it back until we get to town!"

"Exactly the point. Now get your cloak on, we're leaving," Ben orders and hands her the heavy cloak which she fastens around her neck.

"Mom," Kira turns to her, clearly having turned on the puppy dog eyes, her hazel, almost green eyes opened wide and her bottom lip jutted out a touch.

"No," Rey cuts her off while clipping the extra saber onto her own belt behind her. "I'll give it back to you when we reach the town."

"Fine," she groans and rolls her eyes.

"Zyan!" Ben yells again.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he mutters as he walks down the hallway, still shrugging his jacket on and fastening it in front.

"He gets his blaster and saber?" Kira asks, noticing the holster on his hip that secures around his leg and is partially covered by his coat holding both.

"Stop it," Rey scolds, and ushers the fighting teenagers out the door, locking it behind her.

Kira grabs the blaster off of Zyans belt and runs ahead into the trees, Zyan yelling for her to give it back as he chases behind her.

"When will the fighting end?" Rey groans as Ben joins her in stride and takes her hand in his, the warmth of his hand traveling up her arm.

"They're teenagers, I'm sure we have a while," Ben laughs and squeezes her hand before shoving it into his pocket. "It's normal. I know neither of us have experienced that, but it is."

The sound of a saber slicing through something echoes through the trees from down the hill, followed shortly after by a large tree falling to the ground and Zyan laughing.

With an exasperated sigh, Ben jogs ahead of Rey to investigate how much trouble they've gotten themselves into. "I've got it," he assures and leaves her behind.

The distant sound of him scolding them and the protests of their still young voices which haven't matured fully quite yet, especially Zyan's who has been in the squeaky faze of his voice dropping.

As she continues down the path alone, a figure walks back towards her, backlit by the rising sun, and she can tell by his gait that it's Zyan instead of Ben this time. "What did you do?" Rey asks.

"Dad told me to give you this until we get to town," he mumbles his eyes downcast from hers, and hands her the saber.

"What were you doing?" Rey asks him as she clips the saber next to Kira's, the weight noticeable now that she has three sabers and a blaster all hidden under her cloak.

"Kira told me she didn't think I could do that special move she was practicing yesterday and I wanted to prove her wrong," he explains, falling into step next to Rey and she loops her hand through her son's arm.

"And how did that go for you?"

"I mean, I did it."

"And?"

"I almost dropped a tree on her," he admits.

"Ah," Rey acknowledges, stifling a chuckle. "You know Zyan, you don't need to prove yourself to her. The force is not a competition. You both are very different in that aspect, how you fight will be significantly different than her for the rest of your life."

"She only fights different because she's intentionally trying to fight like Ashoka did in those stories dad used to tell us."

"No," Rey corrects. "She fights different between the two of you fight like dad and me. You rely on your strength heavily when you fight, just like Dad does, Kira relies on finesse and anticipating her opponent. You're a lot more like your father than I think you realize."

"Yet dad loves Kira more than me," Zyan mutters and Rey feels a pain in her heart at his words.

"Hey, don't do that," Rey says calmly, stopping him and cupping his cheek. His face has started filling out, the long sharp features filling in to make him a younger version of Ben, the eye and hair color the only noticeable difference. "Your dad and I love you both equally but our love is different for both of you because you two are different. There's no way we can love Kira the same as you, but that doesn't mean we love one of you more."

"Okay," he mumbles, dropping his eyes down, his thick eyelashes brushing his cheeks and Rey brushes his young skin with her thumb. 

—

The market is busy when they arrive, people and creatures roaming around to the various booths, the baskets in their hands and bags slung on their backs filled with the goodies they've bought. Rey hands the sabers back to the kids when they get to the edge of town, the weapons providing them with some protection in the unlikely chance they need it.

Rey wanders through the crowds, browsing through the booths with fresh produce and hand-spun linens. "Mom!" Zyan yells as he runs up to her, his cheeks bright red from the cool air and his lack of hood. "Can I get a pastry please?"

"Yes," Rey agrees as she digs out money, knowing how much they love their treats every time they come down to the market. "But take your sister and get her one too."

"Thanks Mom!" He says hurriedly and runs back through the crowd with Kira. Rey watches him as he shows her the money and they both hurry off in the direction of the bakery easily weaving their way through the crowds.

A strange cold rush that Rey hasn't felt in years washes over her and she turns, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. Her eyes scan the crowd, catching Ben's as he walks towards her, his face serious, and making it clear he has something to tell her.

"There are troopers here," he mutters under his breath close to her and pulls Rey's hood further over her face.

Rey continues to scan the crowd, knowing that she is sensing more than just the trooper's presence. Her eyes land on a small woman with coarse black hair wrapped in a bun at the nape of her neck below her hat. The woman is familiar and Rey is stumped by why until she turns, her profile immediately recognizable.

"The resistance is here too," Rey snaps and pulls Ben to the side next to a stone wall. "The kids are at the bakery, I'll go get them, and then we need to leave. They have to know we're here, why else would they both be here?"

"We'll both go, I'll follow you,. Keep your head low," Ben responds and gives her a quick kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too." Rey searches his eyes for a moment, finding comfort in them before turning back into the crowd and pulling her hooded cloak even tighter around her.

The crowd is thick with people of various ethnicities, mostly locals, but some visitors, and she avoids showing her face to any of them. Ben falls a few steps behind her, putting enough distance between them that they don't look directly connected.

A man with a cart nearly hits Rey and she jumps to the side out of the way, bumping shoulders with someone. "Oh I'm so sorry," Rey says politely, turning to glance at the person she rudely bumped. "Kaydel," Rey gasps and steps back, immediately ducking into the crowd again.

"I have eyes on Rey," she hears Lieutenant Connix snap through her handheld transceiver.

Rey runs through the crowd, moving in the opposite direction of the bakery intentionally, and locates Kira and Zyan in the force connection. 'Do not move, wait for dad,' Rey orders, glancing over her shoulder to see if she is being followed.

'What?' Kira responds.

'Don't move, almost there,' Ben snaps, in their multi-person connection they had all figured out on the twin's tenth birthday.

Rey breathes a sigh of relief knowing he has them and they all have their sabers, allowing her to charge forward into the crowd at a faster speed. The end of the buildings, leading out of town is within her reach and she closes the gap quickly.

Breaking out of the crowd into the empty cool space outside of downtown, Rey darts towards the trees, knowing she's on the opposite side of the town than their home is on, but she can circle back around under the cover of the foliage.

"Rey!" A voice yells behind her and she looks back over her shoulder, finding Finn only a few paces behind her.

She stops, attempting to push him back with the force, but is met with resistance, their two strengths meeting in the middle like two sides of a magnet working against each other. The both strain against the other, trying to overpower each other with little success.

"You're hard to find," Finn says as they drop their hands and they regard each other for the first time in over fifteen years. His frame has filled out more, his hair is in longer dreads that are sprinkled with grey and pulled back on the back of his head, and he has remnants of a freshly shaven beard growing back on his jawline. The orange jacket he wears compliments his brown skin, and he adjusts the two open sides with worn hands before letting his arms fall to his sides.

"That's the point," Rey points out. The fear of where her family is consuming her, but she doesn't dare try to locate them in the force because she doesn't know if Finn is aware of the new additions.

"What's with the sudden disappearance Rey?"

"I don't owe you answers."

"I tried to give you a chance to come back with immunity, you declined my offer."

"It would have come with stipulations anyways," she shrugs and steps forward, ready to grab her saber.

Finn senses her prepared stance and unhinges his, revealing a new sleek silver metal saber hilt instead of her old black one. "Is that how you want to handle things?"

"Is that how you want to?" She counters and grabs her own saber, igniting the two blades next to her.

"So be it," Finn shrugs and ignites his saber, spinning it quickly next to him one in a figure-eight motion and closing the gap between them.

Rey struggles to keep up with his assaults, taking note of his training he has apparently had and the calculated finesse joined with his strength.

Mid swing, Rey force grabs his saber, suspending it for a moment and allowing her to move hers to block again, Finn shaking as he fights against it.

Moving out of his reach, Rey kicks off a tree, flipping back and bringing a turning blow down on him. His saber stops her assault, but she traps his blade between her two by closing it up and kicking him in the stomach, causing him to fall backward.

"Over here!" A voice yells out from down the trail they just left in the brush with their boots and Finn stands back up while she is distracted.

"General," a man says as he comes to stand next to Finn. "We lost the other one. The First Order got him." Rey's stomach drops hearing that Ben was for sure captured, and she doesn't know where the twins are.

"That's okay, we have Rey," Finn assures the man.

"There!" An altered voice yells from behind her and she turns just in time to see blaster fire shooting their direction. Finn blocks it with his saber, following Rey who runs towards the blaster fire in blind faith.

Troopers run past her on either side, pushing Finn and the rest of the resistance reinforcements that have joined back, and engaging them in hand to hand battle accompanied still by blasters from further back.

"Not so fast," a voice snaps, and a gloved hand clamps down on her arm.

Rey looks up at the figure, the shiny metal reflecting their surroundings. 

"Gables?" Rey asks, peering up at the black holes in the helmet.

"Come with me," he snaps, roughly pulling on her arm.

"Why?"

"Empress, I highly suggest you trust me and just cooperate for your own well-being along with Kylo's and your children." Rey freezes, more fear rushing through her because if Gables knows, surely Pryde knows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ruined the happiness and left it on a cliffhanger... new update coming later this week!


	23. It's Okay

Walking up to the house with Gables still gripping her bicep a little too hard, an immediate sense of relief rushes over Rey as the life force of Ben, Zyan, and Kira all come back into reach. A trooper holding a blaster opens the door for her to enter and she resists the urge to knock his knees out from under him, it's her house after all.

"Mom?" Kira sobs from the sitting room at the end of the hallway as soon as Rey steps foot into the house. Ripping her arm away and leaving Gables behind, Rey rushes down the hallway, immediately pulling Kira and Zyan into her arms at the end. She holds them close, fighting back the emotions that are a result of her knowing her children are actually okay, burying her face in Kira's messy hair and pulling Zyan's head against her cheek.

Ben walks over slowly, and places his hand on Rey's back, breaking up the reunion. 'We have company,' he says silently and Rey lifts her head.

In their sitting room, there are multiple troopers and officers for the First Order, but the most noticeable is the frailer version of General Pryde who stands with his hands held behind his back in the center of all of them.

"And what do you owe this pleasure?" Rey sneers at him, letting the teenagers go and pushing them to stand behind her and Ben.

"You were impressively hard to find," he muses, a small hint of a sly grin on his lips, and Rey rolls her eyes at the second person saying that to her today. "Clearly, it took us nearly sixteen years to track you down."

He steps forward with a black metal cane that clicks on the floor, his blue eyes nested in his worn and aging face scanning over all four of them.

"What a beautiful family you have," he muses, stepping next to Rey, his eyes trained on Kira with a sly grin. "So much like her mother." Pryde reaches up to grab Kira's jaw, causing Ben to instinctively move in defense but Zyan beats him to it by grabbing Prydes's hand that holds Kira's jaw with the force and twisting it back in an unnatural position, causing Pryde's face to contort with pain. Pryde lets out a small groan of pain and step back from the kids, his attention now trained on Zyan.

"And force users, how excellent," he musters with a strained chuckle as he walks back in front of Rey and Ben, massaging his forearm through his uniform. "What's your name son?"

"Don't call me son," Zyan responds, his voice the most aggressive Rey has ever heard it be, the edge that Ben's voice can possess also present in Zyan's.

"Ooo angry like his father," Pryde jabs and Rey can sense the confusion in both the kids at the mention of Ben being angry and she glances up at Ben out of the corner of her eye, meeting his. "But that doesn't answer my question."

"Zyan," he mutters to appease the stranger.

"Ah, like the color?"

"Yes but with a Z."

"Charming," Pryde purrs and grins to himself as he turns his attention to Kira. "And you?"

"Kira," she snaps, maintaining direct eye contact with him between Rey and Ben's shoulders.

"Kira and Zyan, what powerful names."

"Where's Vale?" Kira asks, interrupting Pryde's moment.

"She's been sent back for reconditioning already. We don't take to runaways very kindly."

"She wasn't a runaway," Ben argues. "The Knights brought her here without her consent."

"How adorable, Kylo trying to protect that girl once again. How did that go for you last time?"

"Kylo?" Kira whispers from behind Rey and both of them tense at the sound of her voice.

"Ah, your parents never told you who they really are, did they?" Pryde looks at Kira who still just stares at him in challenge. "How ironic that Empress Palpatine and Emperor Ren hid their identity from their own children."

"So what do you want?" Ben asks, his demeanor changing and face hardening.

"The galaxy has been in an uproar, an outright war since the disappearance of their Emperor and Empress only months after their crowning," Pryde rolls his eyes and adds unnecessary dramatics to make fun.

"We're not coming back," Rey states.

"Oh but you are," Pryde corrects. "And how perfect that there are two more additions to the royal family." He paces in front of Ben and eyes him up and down. "Pack your belongings and load the transport."

"And what if we don't?" Rey counters.

"Oh, you will," he chuckles and pauses to size her up as well. "Or if not, I'll see to it that Gables ensures you never leave this home again." Rey stares at him, her brows furrowed, challenging him to break first, but Pryde just stares at her with a small smile, his blue eyes boring holes into her making it clear he isn't going to back down. Finally, she relents, recognizing that they are far outnumbered and wouldn't stand a chance against all of the troopers that are surely surrounding the house.

"Come on kids," Rey says in a hushed tone and motions for them to follow her back to their bedroom while Ben stays to continue negotiations with Pryde.

The twins follow her closely like a couple of scared ducklings and Rey closes the door with a click as soon as they're all in the bedroom. "Mom, what the hell?" Kira yells as soon as Rey has turned to look at them.

"Shhh," Rey shushes and steps towards them, but Kira just crosses her arms. "You just need to trust us."

"You're the rulers of the galaxy everyone has been trying to find?" Kira asks, her voice heavy with accusation.

"How do you know they've been trying to find us?"

"It's not important," Kira crosses her arms and stares at her mother. "Since we're apparently keeping secrets."

"We'll address that later," Rey threatens, knowing Kira must have been sneaking out. "Right now, I need you two to pack everything you can fit in your bags."

"Mom?" Zyan says as she turns to leave the room. "Will we be coming back home eventually?"

Rey looks at her son and glances over at her daughter, able to see the fear and sadness in their eyes as they're being forced out of the only home they've ever known. "I hope so," she musters out, running her hand down the side of his sharp jawline. "I hope so," she whispers again and drops her hand, leaving the kids behind and closing the door behind her.

The sitting room has cleared out of a few of the troopers, one of them now standing guard in the hallway and she ignored their presence as she passes. She locates Ben in the bedroom, finding that he is completely closed off outside of the anger that is rolling off of him in waves.

"What do we do?" Rey whispers to Ben as he aggressively shoves belongings into bags.

"We do as they say because I don't think we have a choice," he snaps, focused on the task at hand.

"You're packing everything," Rey observes.

"Yes, because even if we leave again, we can't come back here. This place is forever compromised."

"Kriff," Rey whispers.

"Yeah," he agrees and throws her a bag. "Pack, they're getting anxious because the resistance is closing in. Apparently, our absence allowed for quite the growth within the ranks of the rebels."

"So much for a boring life in private," Rey mumbles.

"Stop it, we'll figure it out," Ben snaps too aggressively and she glares at him as he clasps a bag shut. "Look," he says in a calmer voice and pulls her close to him with his hands on her hips. "I'm just as nervous as you are, but we have to think about Zyan and Kira. They're probably petrified right now. We have to stay positive for their sake."

"You're right," Rey agrees, dropping her eyes from his.

"Hey," Ben whispers and tips her chin up so she has to meet his eyes again. "No matter what hell is waiting for us, I love you, and we'll get through this together."

"I love you too," she whispers back, tears pooling in the bottom of her eyes. Ben runs his thumb under her eye, taking the tears with it, his forehead etched with deep lines emphasizing his age and concern, before pressing his lips into her forehead.

—

The transport which is just a new model of the ship Rey and Ben escaped from Cantonica with glides more gracefully than Ben remembers making the trip almost pleasant if it wasn't for the lack of knowledge of what is waiting for them on the other end. Clearly, the First Order had upgraded their technology significantly in their absence, but he wouldn't be quick to admit that he was at all impressed by the improvements.

Kira sits pinned between him and Rey, her hand tightly secured in Rey's who is rubbing Zyan's back on the other side of her aimlessly while staring at the floor in front of her, deep in thought. With his arm that rests on the seat behind Kira, he plays with his daughter's long hair that she has started leaving down, running the fine raven strands back and forth between his fingers. Releasing the chunk of hair, he reaches a little further to Rey and squeezes her shoulder, the contact calming her swirling thoughts.

Most likely sensing the shift in both of her parents, Kira leans into him, resting her head on his chest and tucking her shoulder under his arm. Shifting a touch so they're both comfortable, but keeping his hand on Rey's shoulder, he scans over the five troopers who were tasked with the job of watching the family of four, not that they would actually be able to do anything to stop them in the absence of the rest of the troops.

The trooper on the end looks directly at the family of four, and Ben focuses his attention on him in return, pushing into his mind.

With a laugh, Ben looks back across the room and shakes his head lightly as the instinct of a protective father washes over him. "What's your designation?" Ben asks, turning to look directly at the same trooper again, signifying that he's speaking to him.

"FR-7781" the trooper responds immediately and professionally.

"Pleasure," Ben nods, his face straight. "You should know, she's just a kid. Not even 16 yet."

"I'm sorry?" FR-7781 questions, an edge of defense in his tone.

"Uh, uh, uh," Ben chuckles and waves his finger in the air in warning. "You forget that I'm technically your superior."

"That I was assigned the task of watching."

"Stay in line, keep your thoughts at bay, and watch the attitude kid," Ben snaps. "I'm watching you."

"Yes sir," the trooper mutters and returns his gaze to a different part of the room, ignoring Ben and his piercing gaze that paired with a smug smirk.

"Ben," Rey whispers in warning knowing the kids are both alarmed by his change in behavior and she personally doesn't like the glimpse of Kylo that just came out.

Kira and Zyan don't say anything, but he can feel Kira tip her head up and look at him, regarding him cautiously, confusion pouring off of her.

"It's okay," Ben whispers and leans down to kiss the top of her head once she has looked away from him and he feels her relax against him. "It's all okay," he repeats and catches Rey's eye, a hint of alarm and concern passing between the two of them. They hold each other's eye contact for a second, the exchange between them in the force strained as they both hide from their children the fact that they indeed don't know it'll be okay.


	24. Despicable

The transport settles on the ground with a soft thud followed by the hiss of hydraulics as the hatch lowers in front of them. A shiver runs up Rey's spine at the memories that flood back from that one sound alone and she wishes with every fiber in her being that she could somehow escape this nightmare she is living in real-time. Zyan and Kira both tighten their grip on Rey's hands as the door opens further to reveal the expansive hanger with impossibly shiny floors and she fights back the bile forming in the back of her throat.

Ben takes the lead with Rey directly behind him, the two teenagers following behind them nervously, their eyes scanning their surroundings as they step into the hanger, a setting drastically different than anything they have ever experienced.

The walls travel up for what seems like miles above them, broken up by Tie fighters layered over top of each other, windows of the hallways and control rooms, and panels of lights leading from the floor all the way to the ceiling. The sight of the blackness that stretches forever past the large hangar entrance forms an even more aggressive pit in Rey's stomach which she quickly chokes down again, remembering Ben's words about how they need to be brave for the twins.

"Palpatine and Ren, good to see you again," General Parnadee says with a small nod, her hair showing her age as it is now speckled with light grey.

"Parnadee, good to see you," Ben forces out, electing to ignore the memory of her consistent siding with his wife that consequently worked against him on a regular basis.

"We can brief you in the Bridge," the general assures and motions for the family to follow, both of them noting how Pryde isn't present. Rey falls into step behind her with Zyan next to her, while Ben motions for Kira to follow him, wrapping his arm across her shoulders. The fear in both of the teenagers is palpable as they observe the dark surroundings and the strangers in various uniforms labeling their respective ranks.

They pass rows of computers manned by workers in simple black uniforms who click at the screens aimlessly and make their way up a short flight of stairs before turning to the bridge. The patrons all stare at them, whispers of curiosity being exchanged in hushed tones but stopped abruptly by Rey shooting looks of warning in their directions.

"Sit over there," Rey says to Kira and Zyan, motioning towards a table with two benches on either side in the corner. "We'll be right here," she explains, showing them that they would still be visible and they won't be alone. "So," Rey begins and turns back to the General, walking to the table in the middle of the room. "What are we looking at."

"We're still in the system, so currently we're viewing Argent along with its moon that is uninhabitable," General Paranedee explains with her hands behind her back.

Both Ben and Rey circle the holotable, their eyes scanning the world they had called home for years. Rey can feel a pang of sadness as she follows along a large fissure in the surface of the planet, knowing it leads to a little ways away from their house. She can almost hear the sound of snow crunching under their boots as she explores the forest with the twins during one of Ben's work trips.

"Can I ask how exactly you found us?" Rey asks and turns her back to the table with her arms crossed across her midsection.

"We were tipped off by a smuggler that he had information regarding the whereabouts of the Empress and Emperor. Of course, he clearly sold the information to the Resistance as well."

"And how exactly did this smuggler learn of our identity?" Ben asks.

"Did they recognize him?" Rey clarifies by pointing at Ben, assuming that is the only reasonable explanation.

"Surprisingly no," the general laughs and glances over her shoulder at Kira and Zyan. "He encountered a 'Solo' at the Cantina. A Kira Solo."

Rey's eyes shoot up to Ben's then over at Kira who stares at the floor, her eyes partially hidden by her dark hair. Feeling the attention on her, she glances up at Rey, meeting her eyes for a second before dropping them back to the ground. Zyan who sits next to her shifts uncomfortably, and glances up to Rey but she is too preoccupied to look at the boy.

"Is that so?" Rey mumbles, her eyes still trained on her daughter.

"Precisely," the general continues and paces around the table. "We took a few days to track your whereabouts and plan the perfect opportunity to strike, learning that you take a weekly trip to the market, and that would be the perfect opportunity to snag you and also engage the resistance as we knew they were stalking you as well."

"You risked the resistance capturing us?" Rey clarifies, trying to hide the shock in her voice that they were essentially used as bait.

"We were confident they didn't stand a chance. We were far more prepared this time compared to the last time the rebels came after you."

"Really? Is that why everyone was so nervous when the Resistance was able to push our efforts back so easily?" Ben counters and waits patiently for an answer which he doesn't receive.

"So now what?" Rey asks and glances over at Kira who has tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Despite Prydes arguments, I have given you full clearance to the ship again, we have improved and upgraded it, but you will find your remodeled quarters in the same location," Paranedee explains as she paces to the far side of the room, grabbing four fobs for the family. "We have since taken Hux's quarters and attached them to your original quarters to make it more fit for a family. Of course, you two have more clearance than the children, but they can still access a good chunk of the destroyer, the parts that are of course needed for them. You should know, there will also be multiple troopers assigned to you to follow you around and report any and all problematic behavior. This we believe is necessary and is also the only way I got away with giving you clearance again."

"Thank you General," Rey acknowledges and takes the fobs from her.

"We will return later to have you bring us up to speed," Ben responds, feeling the tension rising between Rey and Kira and knowing that it needs to be released as soon as possible. "For now, we're going to take some time as a family to get settled again."

"Kids," Rey calls in a clipped tone and both of them stand abruptly, waiting for further instructions from their mother. "Let's go," she motions and exits the bridge, expecting that they keep up.

When they reach the elevator, Rey enters, allowing Zyan and Kira to step around her, Zyan stopping to stand between her and Ben, but Kira walks to the back wall and leans against it.

The elevator hisses as it rushes downwards, providing the only sound over the strained hush present between the four of them.

"You're in so much trouble," Zyan whispers and shoots a sly grin over his shoulder at his sister.

"Zy," Ben warns without turning around.

"What? She is," he laughs and shoves his hands into his pockets, flipping his long hair back with a snap of his head.

"Shut up," Kira bites at him from the back of the elevator.

"Stop it! both of you!" Rey yells and turns, her eyes shooting back and forth between them. "We will discuss this in private, not here, so zip it."

"Sorry mom," they both mutter and drop their heads, waiting for her to turn around before sticking their tongues out at each other.

The door of their old quarters which is only a short distance down from the elevator opens from Rey scanning her fob and they enter, turning the corner and descending the stairs in the familiar foyer. The trooper that had followed them from the elevator stops at the door by the other trooper, both of them taking their respective posts and effectively making it impossible for the family to sneak out.

"Whoa," Zyan marvels as turns slowly, his head falling back to observe the high white ceilings that bend in a shape almost as if they're inside a diamond.

"Come," Rey mutters and ascends the stairs up to the living space, the smell of new construction heightening her curiosity to exactly what changes were made.

The sitting room is nearly the same, with minor updates and fixes filling in where Rey and Ben had both individually damaged the metal with knives and sabers in their fits of rage. Opposite the hallway leading to the master is now a second hallway with three doors, most likely the rooms for the teenagers.

"Sit," Ben snaps, pulling the kids out of their explorative state as they wander around the room, pulling on the curtains and tracing their fingers along the cold metal finishing.

"Dad I-," Kira begins but is cut off by him raising his hand in signal to stop as he settles in the couch next to Rey across from the children, draping his arm across the back behind her.

"Right now Kira, we need you to tell the truth," Rey explains, an even and calm present in her voice to mask the anger boiling directly below the surface. "How did they know about you?"

"I don't know," she mutters, her eyes downcast on the coffee table and her arms instinctively wrapping around her front.

"Don't shut down on us Kira, tell us the truth," Ben adds with more force and she glances up at him, not liking his tone.

"Fine," she sighs and rolls her eyes. "I would sneak out some nights and go down to the cantina. I made some friends down there and would go hang out with them."

"Did you know about this?" Ben turns and looks at Zyan who nods, not meeting his father's eyes. "And did you go with?"

"He only went with once, and he was so annoying talking about how much trouble we would be in that I didn't let come with ever again," Kira explains for him, knowing she's going to take the brunt of the anger and punishment.

"Do you understand what you did?" Rey pipes in, leaning forward to look at her daughter. "We can't go home K, we're stuck here, and even if we leave, that'll be the first place they look for us."

"I'm so sorry," Kira mumbles, tears forming in her eyes and her voice cracking and wavering. "I didn't mean to, it was just nice to feel normal and not like some hermit up in the mountains who doesn't have any friends."

"Even I used a fake name for work before I knew we couldn't afford to be that reckless," Ben explains.

"I didn't know our family name was so secretive, you and mom never told us anything!" Kira explains, her volume amplifying and her tone turning defensive.

"We kept secrets to protect you," Ben explains, his hand soothingly rubbing Rey's back.

"How was that protecting us? My friends told me stories about the First Order and how the resistance was desperately looking for the missing Empress and Emperor. I never thought for one second that those people they told me about would be my own parents!"

"We did it to protect you, this is a cruel world Kira" Rey explains again, echoing what Ben already said.

"No, you were covering up the awful things you did!" Kira amplifies even further, her voice filling the room. "Between the two of you, you killed thousands of innocent people, not to mention the children that disappeared just days after your wedding. What did you do, kill them too?"

"They're not dead and don't speak to us that way," Rey warns her.

"You're despicable," Kira mutters, her eyes narrowing down to glare at them.

"That's enough," Ben sighs and stands. "We're going to hang on to your fobs for now until you can prove you deserve freedom again. Let's go get you settled in your room, and then you'll stay there until we call you for dinner."

"What, you're putting us on house arrest like we're children?" Kira fights back at him.

"Essentially yes. And you're fifteen, you are children," Ben argues.

"We turn sixteen next week, and Mom was living on her own at this age."

"I said Enough!" Ben yells again. "Your mother was living on her own since she was a fraction of your age, but we're not going sit and pretend that she was living some glamorous life because we all know she wasn't."

"Kira," Rey says with her forehead resting forward on her hands. "Just go to your room please."

"Fine," Kira rolls her eyes and stands abruptly, storming down the hallway and flinging doors open, just to slam one shut with a scream of frustration.

"Mom?" Zyan asks quietly, still not having moved on the couch. "I'm sorry," he nearly whispers.

Rey looks up at him, noticing his anxious face. "I know honey," she assures him. "Just go to your room please, it'll be okay."

"Ok," he agrees and gets up, leaving the room in a much calmer fashion than his sister did a moment ago.

Rey's shoulders slump forward and she stares at the floor in front of her, dispelling a deep sigh through her nose. "I'll go make sure they're settled okay?" Ben asks and rests his hand on her back as he kisses the side of her head before standing up.

She waits long enough for his footsteps to leave the room, followed by a door cracking open and then closing again. Immediately, Rey is on her feet now that she is alone and can wander through the quarters undisturbed. The walls are still decorated with the same crimson banners donning the First Order symbol and she gathers the thick velvety fabric in her hands as she walks before releasing it, causing it to swing back and forth and create a light breeze.

The door squeaks as she opens it to the bedroom, the air stale from the lack of residents for years, but the furniture is free of dust and the linens on the bed are freshly pressed, so someone has been in here cleaning. Entering the door to the closet, the lights power on, casting the room filled with her clothes in soft warm light. The hangers move to the side along the rail like pages in a book and Rey slowly shuffles through her old clothes she barely had time to wear.

The fabrics range even more in texture now that the clothes she had left behind on Cantonica have been brought to the destroyer as well. Grabbing the silky fabric of a robe, she runs her hands along the length of it, the fabric cool against her warm skin, visions of her lounging on the balcony with Ben at night, looking out over the dessert playing in her head. Their faces and skin free of wrinkles, the only blemishes that of scars from battles and injuries over the years considering at that point she was only five or so years older than Kira and Zyan are now.

Watching herself in the mirror, she grabs the bottom hem of her grey tunic and pulls it over her head, revealing the skin that has returned to its original state but is permanently scarred from the size her stomach grew to while pregnant. Grabbing a black camisole and jacket, she conceals her skin again, covering herself completely in black from head to toe. The red leather straps wrapped around her midsection and arms shine in the lights and she twirls slightly to make them catch the light a couple more times.

A sense of Deja Vu consumes her, feeling like she did the first day she arrived on the destroyer and joined Ben when he was still Kylo and loyally turned to the dark side. With a sigh, she buttons up her jacket, pulling the red straps tight, and observes herself one more time in the mirror and putting old Rey to rest again.


	25. Gala

"Kira, can you hand me the salt?" Rey asks and looks up at her daughter across the table who refuses to look up and has her jaw clenched tight. "Kira," Rey repeats.

"Here mom," Zyan says quietly and leans over Kira to hand her the small shaker.

"Thank you Zy," Rey acknowledges him quickly before looking back at her stubborn daughter. "Kira it's been 3 months, when are you going to speak to us again?"

She doesn't look up, just aggressively stabs at a green vegetable on her plate and shoves it into her mouth, chewing quickly. The last few bites make it into her mouth in quick succession until her plate is empty and she sets her napkin that was on her lap on the table. "I'm finished, may I be excused?" Kira asks, looking past Rey and instead directly at Ben.

Ben glances over at Rey who just shrugs, looking down at her plate and accepting defeat. "Yes you may, thank you for asking."

"Want to go train?" Kira asks Zyan as she stands up, tugging her black jacket back down so it just skims the top of her pants to avoid a comment from her father about showing too much skin.

"May I be excused?" Zyan asks, excited to go train as it has become one of his favorite activities once again.

"Yes, finish the last few bites first though," Ben agrees.

Kira waits at the top of the stairs while Zyan shovels the last two bites into his mouth, stands while still chewing, and pushes the chair in behind him.

"Don't forget about the gala tonight!" Ben reminds them as they walk down the stairs together, Rey watching them as they go. Zyan has shot up in size, towering over Kira now that he has filled out and she has for the most part stopped growing, leaving her only an inch shorter than Rey so the twin's height difference is almost comical now.

"It'll get better," Ben assures Rey as soon as the door to the quarters downstairs slides shut. "She made eye contact at least today."

"With you, not me," Rey mumbles while twirling her fork around in the noodles on her plate. "What if she hates me forever?"

"She won't," Ben answers quickly. "She's too much like you, she's stubborn but will eventually crack."

"We'll see," Rey mumbles.

"She will, I'm confident."

"That makes one of us."

—

Kira waits patiently with her eyes closed as the woman with long nails and tattooed skin applies makeup to her face. Getting her ready for the Gala had proven to be a challenge as she had never worn makeup or clothes other than her daily tunics and pants. Every dress the stylist presented the week prior was met with a look of disgust or confusion, and a quick wave of the hand from Kira.

Rey sits on a stool to the side, only wearing her undergarments with a long black robe layered over top, watching the finishing touches being put on Kira's face. Being more cooperative with the makeup artist had paid off as Rey has extra time to relax before the stylist would be back to help them dress.

"Perfect," the overprocessed woman says and sits back, holding Kira's jaw gently in her hand and tipping her head up. Kira smiles up at her, basking in the attention and the compliments, her features defined and eyes heavily emphasized making her look older than she is by far. "Just like her mother," the woman adds and Rey watches as the smile leaves Kira's face and Rey wilts a little more.

The woman collects her things quickly and leaves them alone in the room to wait for the stylist to bring the dresses to them from the steam room. Kira plays with her nails, keeping her eyes trained downwards and avoiding conversation with Rey in the silent dressing room.

"Kira I have something for you," Rey says timidly, the fear of being rejected again keeping her from putting herself too far out there.

Walking behind Kira, Rey shakes a necklace out of a little grey bag with pull-strings and lowers it in front of Kira's face until the small pendant rests just below the dip of her collarbone.

Kira looks down at the red pendant and runs her fingers over it slowly while Rey clasps it behind her neck. "Your father gave this to me shortly after I moved in with him here, but I haven't worn it in years. I want you to have it."

Rey settles Kira's long hair again on her shoulders, and smooths it back out, running her fingers along her dark raven hair that is so soft and curled perfectly tonight.

"Thank you," Kira responds quietly as Rey sits back down across the room from her daughter. "It's beautiful."

"Dad has good taste," Rey agrees.

"Yeah, he does," Kira smiles, both of them thinking about how Ben had helped her pick her dress out after the stylist had a breakdown from the teenager's moodiness and indecisiveness.

"You know Kira, you remind me a lot of myself," Rey adds now that she's able to feel Kira letting the walls down a touch.

"You mean I look like you?"

"Well yes, but that's not what I'm talking about," Rey chuckles and moves to sit next to Kira on the bench. "You have your dad's eyes and hair, but besides that, you're exactly like me. It goes so far past the physical though. Your personality, your passion, your drive, and your attitude is through and through, exactly like me."

Rey pauses and reaches over to grab Kira's hand, holding it gently in her own and stroking the soft skin on the back of her hand. "You are passionate and driven, you know what you want and you feel everything so deeply. You're a force to be reckoned with and you're going to do great things in your life, but you can't forget about those who love and care for you. Don't let your hate and anger consume you so much that you push your family away, that's a dark and lonely road."

"Why did you and Dad do it?" Kira whispers and squeezes Rey's hand back, signaling her receptiveness to the conversation. "Why did you hide the truth from us?"

"It's not that simple of an answer," Rey sighs and looks up at her, finding Kira staring back at her expectantly. "But I'll try."

Shifting her robe, Rey angles herself so she's facing Kira a little more. With her free hand, she pinches the pendant hanging from Kira's neck between her fingers and studies it for a minute while she thinks, the shiny stone glittering in the bright lights.

"I grew up as an orphan on Jakku, I was a scavenger, serving a master who gave me just enough to survive in return for the parts I was able to bring to him. I met my friend Finn there by chance and he took me to the Resistance base. There I worked for your grandmother, Dad's mom, and eventually trained on a small island with Dad's uncle Luke who we've told you stories of."

"So how did you and Dad meet then?"

"Dad kidnapped me," Rey laughs a little and looks up at her to find Kira's eyebrow raised out of confusion. "No seriously, I was working with a droid much like D8 who had something Dad wanted, so he kidnapped me."

"Was it love at first sight?" Kira asks, her walls dropping completely and a smile pulling at her lips.

"Oh absolutely not," Rey shakes her head. "Well actually," she pauses and thinks about that first encounter on Takodana, "at first he was terrifying. This masked figure with a deep voice and foreboding stature who I knew was far more powerful than I was considering I barely knew of my abilities yet. When I finally saw his face in the interrogation room when he took his helmet off, I really don't know what exactly that emotion was. It wasn't love, but it was... a familiarity. Something just clicked in me and sent me into a tailspin, I was consumed with the thought of him, willing to do whatever I had to in order to be with him."

"So is that when you joined the First Order?"

"No. He tried multiple times to get me to join him, but I was determined that I would instead get him to turn to the light. I almost succeeded a couple of times, he even killed his own teacher in order to save me. But eventually, I couldn't deny it anymore, and knew this is where I belonged."

"But is it where you belong?"

"You amaze me sometimes you know that?" Rey laughs, pulling her daughter towards her and resting the sides of their heads against the other. "But really, " Rey says and pauses, wondering if she actually wants to admit what deep down she knows. "I don't know where I belong exactly, but what I do know is that I belong wherever your father is because he is undoubtedly my other half."

Kira smiles up at her mother, her eyes twinkling before she drops them back down to their clasped hands. "Do you think I'll ever find someone who loves me like that?"

Running the back of her fingers down the side of Kira's face, Rey looks deep into her eyes, marveling in her youth that is barely hanging on as she blossoms into a young woman. "Any man would be crazy not to fall in love with you. Just make sure he's worth it. Okay?"

"Okay," she whispers with a nod before adding "I love you, mom."

Rey's heart swells at the sudden change in Kira after three months of being iced out emotionally by her. "I love you too," Rey whispers in response and taps her forehead against her daughters.

The sound of the high pitched voice of the stylist with the dresses breaks their moment. "Ladies I'm so sorry I'm late," she rattles off as she hangs the garment bags and unzips them revealing the dresses.

"Oh my maker," Kira marvels as she boosts herself off the couch and moves to the dresses. "It's more beautiful than it was when we picked it!" The black fabric shimmers in her hands, the sparkles turning red as they reach the bottom creating a burning ember effect.

"Let's get you into it, honey," the stylist encourages and takes the dress off the hanger, bringing it down to their level. "Turn around."

—

The hangar behind them is busy with activity, filled with officers, lieutenants, and generals who have ditched their regular uniforms, replacing them with expensive gowns for the women and tuxedos for the men.

Zyan shifts next to Ben, looking over his shoulder back at the crowd and adjusting the extra layers the tux adds that he isn't accustomed to. The distinct sound of two sets of heels on the shiny metal floor reaches their ears and they both wait expectantly as Kira and Rey approach, one set obviously closer than the other.

Kira rounds the corner first, her skirt flowing out from her into a glittery red pool and filling the hallway as she walks. "You're beautiful sweetheart," Ben says as she reaches him and he kisses her cheek, brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear and noticing that she is in much different spirits than she was earlier in the day.

"Thanks, Dad, but wait until you see mom," she smiles and steps over by Zyan, immediately starting to pick on him for his tux and how uncomfortable he looks, telling him that he looks like those black and white birds they used to terrorize on Argent.

Ben's knees go weak as he turns back towards the end of the hallway and Rey rounds the corner, her red dress hugging her modestly, and trailing out behind her, the few layers flouncing open in the front, revealing her toned leg as she walks. "Oh shit," Ben mutters and runs his hand back through his hair as she locks eyes with him, a smile forming on her lips as she closes the gap between them with even strides.

Her confidence takes him back to the snowy forest on Star Killer, the first time he realized just how powerful and miraculous she was, and all the way through the journey they've had together so far. "Hi handsome," Rey whispers, taking his outstretched hand, the contact between their skin sending an intense electric charge up his arm.

"I think you just keep getting more beautiful," Ben Marvels as he takes in every small detail. 

"I'm not the only one," she teases and tips his tie back so it's perfectly level.

"Ready?" Ben asks, holding her eyes as he leans forward and kisses the back of her hand.

"Ready," she responds with a nod, and loops her hand in the crook of his arm, following him past Zyan and Kira who stand by the entrance to the hangar, observing all of the gala guests.

"Empress Palpatine and Emperor Ren," a voice announces and the crowd erupts into applause, the sound deafening. Kira and Zyan walk closely behind them, Kira gripping onto her brother for everything she's worth. The faces of the people are somewhat familiar to Ben, some of them remnants of the personnel who he worked with nearly two decades ago but there's hundreds of new faces, all of whom he's sure he'll have to address at some point this evening ensuring that it will without a doubt be an exhausting night.

—

The evening flies by, Ben and Rey chatting up the various generals who have requested their presence along with the high paying loyalists that were brought in for the evening.

Kira wandered away from her family a while ago, bored with the forced conversations with people that her parents clearly hate and have no interest in actually speaking with and the puppy dog act Zyan is putting on by happily following them around.

A man with a tray of food walks past her and Kira grabs his elbow to pull him back, taking one of the small puff pastries and shoving it in her mouth, just to grab two more with her free hand as she chews. "These are delicious, thank you," she says to the man through a full mouth and steps backward but is stopped by someone's hand on her back.

"I am so sorry," Kira blurts out and flips her hair over her shoulder as she turns, being met by a tall man with dark hair and dark eyes. "Uh," she pauses, blinking rapidly, searching for words that have seemingly completely escaped her. "Want a puff?" She blurts out and holds her hand up in emphasis, offering him one.

"That's quite alright, but thank you," he chuckles. "I would kiss your hand in greeting but you seem to have your hands full," he teases motioning towards her hands holding food in one and a glass in the other.

"Oh here," she says quickly, turning to set the food down on a tall table next to her and turning back to him, acutely aware of how hot her cheeks are. He takes her hand in his, his skin warm and smooth, igniting a fire at the point of contact. Kira's eyes widen as he grips her hand and leans forward, his lips planting a kiss on her skin, much like the way her father had greeted her mother only hours before.

"What's-" Kira stutters as he stands back up straight and drops her hand, his height allowing him to tower over her. The back of her hand tingles and is on fire where his lips met her skin, the lingering feeling electrifying. "What's your name?"

"That's classified," the man grins at her and she finds herself getting lost in his eyes and how they crinkle ever so slightly by the inner corners.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah me too," Kira continues to trip over her words, trying to hide her nerves.

"Considering your status, your name is hardly classified," he playfully jeers.

"Well then, I'm Kira," she says a little calmer now as she finds comfort in his open and encouraging face.

A smile forms more on his face, revealing polished teeth and he reaches up to flick a stray strand of hair back to join the rest that is styled with an appropriate amount of gel. "It's a pleasure Kira," he adds with a laugh and extends his hand to her again. "Walk with me?"

"Okay," she practically giggles, her cheeks becoming hot again as she sets her hand back in his and he leads her to the door on the side of the room.

The silence of the hallway is welcome after hours in the overfilled space and she walks with her hand resting in the crook of his arm, trying to be discrete about the fact that she is using him to help her stay upright due to the thin heels being difficult to walk in on the slippery floor.

"So tell me about yourself," Kira prompts as they reach the end of the hallway, stopping right next to a window. Backing up against the window, she leans back against it, the glass cool on her bare shoulder blades.

"Well," the man says as he leans forward and plants his hand on the wall next to the window. "I work here on the destroyer obviously and that's about all I do with my life."

"Exciting," Kira teases, a hint of mischief in her eyes reflected in his own gaze.

"What about you? Tell me about Kira." 

"Well, I found out after living 15 years in seclusion that I'm unfortunately some sort of strange level of royalty apparently and now I live under the watchful eye of my mother and scrutinizing comments of my father."

"Ah yes, Kylo Ren can be quite opinionated."

"You know my father?"

"We've spoken once and it was rather hostile, I wouldn't call us acquaintances by any means," he smiles down at her and she freezes, a sense of familiarity washing over her.

"Have we met?" She whispers, her eyebrows pinching together and her head cocking to the side.

"Have we?" He responds, his eyes crinkling up at the corners again.

His eyes lock on hers, watching as the hazel surrounded pupils quickly flick back and forth between his two nearly black eyes.

"You're the trooper from the transport. FR-7781," she whispers, impressing herself that she remembers his vague trooper designation so well.

"Am I?" He asks, playing coy.

"How are you here?" Kira asks, ignoring his flirting and leaning closer to him, knowing she needs to keep her voice down.

"I have my ways," he shrugs. "Plus I couldn't pass up a chance at talking to you."

"You're sweet," she smiles, leaning back against the window and basking in his flattery.

"You're beautiful," he responds, picking a strand of hair off of her cheek and tucking it back with the rest of her hair.

Ben's presence pushes through the force and the man immediately pushes back from the wall almost before Kira is able to register that it's her father, and he looks in the direction of where Ben is coming from while fixing his suit.

"You need to go, it's my father," Kira says quickly and steps towards him.

"It was a pleasure," he whispers and leans down, planting a kiss on her cheek, not even an inch from her mouth. In shock, she watches his lips as he stands back up, his hot breath brushing across her face and their eyes meeting. "Until next time, Princess," he adds and rushes down the hallway.

"Oh, I'm not a princess, the royalty thing was a joke!" She yells a little louder behind him.

"But to me," he says with a grin and stops, giving her one more good view of him while he takes in her appearance one more time as well, "you are." With a wink, he turns and disappears out of view leaving Kira alone, staring at the space he previously occupied as her father's footsteps approach.


	26. Panic

Zyan runs to keep up with Rey as they rush down the hallways, both of them navigating the confusing maze of passages and doors with ease after nearly four months on the destroyer. Lights flash on panels on the side, along with alarms blaring from a few of them as well but they don't take a moment to stop and address what the problem is.

"You'll come with and follow me," Rey yells to him as they run, glancing over her shoulder back at him.

"Where's Dad and Kira?"

"They're both already down there."

"What?" Zyan asks as they load the elevator and take a moment to pause, noticing that they lost the trooper who was supposed to be watching them at some point.

"Dad took her with," Rey explains and grabs her side, acutely aware that she isn't in quite as good of shape as she used to be. "It was supposed to be a routine check."

"And?"

"And," she pauses, still trying to catch her breath. "The Resistance showed up."

"This is a common thing isn't it?" Zyan observes.

"Yes, yes it is," Rey rolls her eyes at the annoyance that the Resistance under her former friend's command was becoming to her again. It's a normal pattern, one side tries to do something and the other steps in, intentionally fighting against them and rarely doing enough to cause any damage, more just be a general annoyance like a small gnat on a hot day.

"So what do we do?" Zyan asks.

"Push them back, and secure the town again," Rey explains while checking that her lightsaber and blaster are safely secured on her belt.

"Sounds easy enough," the teenage boy acknowledges, his voice calm and collected despite him heading into his first battle.

"Stay with me and don't go off on your own," Rey warns as the elevator comes to a halt and they exit, turning abruptly into the hangar and moving towards their ship.

—

"Kira stay close," Ben orders as he storms down an alley of the unfamiliar town that the First Order had acquired control of during their absence. This city is technologically advanced, that much is clear, but many of the back alleys are dingy, crowded, and clearly not somewhere you find people of high social status making Ben and Kira stand out significantly.

Men and women in dirty and poor conditions watch them from the shadows in their shanty towns they have fashioned on both sides of the alley, their interest particularly trained on Kira. Ben grabs her hand, making sure to keep her close, realizing bringing her with may have been the wrong decision.

"Sir," a trooper says as they round the corner back into a less crowded space. "The Resistance is here."

"Of course they are," Ben growls and thinks of what to do. "Where at?"

"The west side of the city so far," the trooper responds.

"Can you take her back to the ship while I go check on the situation and assist if needed?" Ben asks the trooper, distracted by the added stress he didn't miss of this life, yet knowing Rey will kill him if she finds out he sent Kira with a trooper unsupervised.

"Yes sir," the trooper agrees and Ben pulls Kira to him and plants a kiss on her forehead.

"I'll be there shortly," he mumbles close to her face with his hands on either shoulder. "You'll be safe with him."

"Okay," Kira agrees.

"Come with me," the trooper says professionally and Kira walks behind him, noticing that she can't read him like she can the other troopers that are usually assigned to her.

He walks with purpose, not so fast that she can't keep up with him, but fast enough that she does need to nearly run which is impressive to her considering how hard those uniforms probably are to move in.

The ground shakes under them followed by a loud crash and screams of the women and children that live in the alleys there cutting through again. "It's okay," the trooper assures without looking back at her and Kira looks up at the back of his helmet, trying to figure out how he's still blocking her out. Surely a trooper isn't a force user so it must just be a result of her being so distracted and stressed. "We're almost there."

As they round the corner, he stops her, his arm coming into contact with her front as he pushes her back around the corner, her eyes catching a glimpse of their ship that is surrounded by a small group of Resistance fighters.

"What do we do?" Kira sputters, completely overwhelmed by the first battle she's ever been somewhat a part of.

"Just breathe," he commands and leans back around the corner to observe the situation.

Another explosion erupts, this time closer and Kira leans forward with her hands against the wall as she feels her chest tightening from stress. It's hard to breathe and she physically has to gasp to get air into her lungs which causes her to panic more at this strange sensation.

"You're becoming distressed, you have to calm down," the trooper commands.

"I'm," she gasps and coughs. "I'm trying," she snaps at him, making it clear that he isn't at all helping.

A third explosion shakes the walls around her and Kira starts shaking, her senses becoming completely jumbled. "Okay, you're panicking," he says in a clipped tone and turns her by her shoulders to face him.

"Ya think," she sputters with her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffing in and out as she breathes.

The trooper stares at her through the black holes of his mask, causing her to be even more nervous under his untraceable gaze that she knows is locked on her. "I'm sorry Princess, I have to do this," he says as he waves his white-clad hand in front of her face, and she feels her knees give out just before her vision goes black.

—

Kira's eyes flutter open and the dark walls of her bedroom come into view making it clear that somehow she got back to the destroyer.

"Mom!" Zyan yells next to her. "She's awake!"

"Kriff Zy," Kira curses and rolls to look at him sitting next to her on the bed, his back propped up by a few pillows and a hand-held game in his hand. "Can't you give me a minute of silence before you alert the authorities?"

"Sorry, mom told me to let her know as soon as you woke up," he mutters, not lifting his eyes from the screen, his fingers flying methodically across the buttons.

"Damn goodie goodie," Kira whispers and pulls the blanket over her head as she listens to two sets of boots approaching the bedroom.

—  
Rey and Ben had been waiting patiently for her to wake up after they both arrived back at the destroyer.

She has to admit that she had missed the battles in a strange way. The adrenaline made her almost drunk and she thrives off of the rush she got from hand to hand combat that allowed her to demonstrate how skilled she is at wielding her saber. Ben on the other hand she can tell is drained by it now, considering how low energy he has been since returning. All Rey wanted to do was rehash the battle, what had happened, and how exhilarating it was to be back, but Ben just wanted to relax on the couch and bask in the silence with his feet up.

Zyan happily took the post in his sister's room when they got back, waiting for her to wake up while playing on the small handheld game that Ben had handed down to him.

It was jarring to encounter Kira in the arms of a random trooper within minutes of landing. Her raven hair and dark clothing contrasted against his white uniform was unmistakable on sight and activated a protective instinct in Rey.

Taking Kira from the trooper, Zyan had carried her back to the ship, immediately returning to the destroyer while Rey hurried to go assist Ben to deescalate the situation. Rightfully, Ben had gotten an earful for leaving Kira unsupervised to which he just reminded her that she technically left both of the kids unsupervised in coming to find him.

"Mom!" Zyan yells from the bedroom and she stands up expectantly, waiting for him to finish his sentence. "She's awake!" He adds followed by hushed murmurs from Kira most likely telling him to be quiet knowing her.

They rush down the hallway to Kira's bedroom, finding Zyan with his eyes still trained on the game with laser focus and a lump up against him under the covers. Rey and Ben don't say anything, just move to the bed where Rey sits gently on the foot of it, and Ben leans forward over the footboard with his elbows on it.

The silence causes Zyan to look up uncomfortably, recognizing that the only sound in the room is that of the game in his hands.

Wondering what everyone is doing, Kira slowly peels the sheets back, freezing under the sight of both of her parents staring back at her. "And we're hiding why?" Rey asks with a hint of amusement on her face.

"I don't know," the teenager squeaks out sheepishly, still holding the sheet up to her nose.

"You're not in trouble, we just wanted to talk to you quickly," Ben assures her, trying to coax her out from her hiding spot.

They watch as she folds the blankets back and sits up, leaning against Zyan as a strange sort of buffer like normal. Their connection since birth has been a strong one and Ben and Rey often found that the twins look to the other one for support in many different situations, especially when they are in trouble.

"Kira, what happened?" Rey asks calmly, noticing that she's on edge and closed off.

"I don't know," Kira mutters, her eyes focused on the quilt stretched across her lap.

"Okay how about this," Ben sighs. "What is the last thing you remember?"

"I was following the trooper, we found Resistance fighters by our ship, there were explosions going off around us, and I got really overwhelmed. I must have passed out or fainted from the stress."

Rey stares at her daughter, trying to figure out if she's lying or giving a half-truth, but there is definitely something missing in her explanation.

"You just fainted?" Ben clarifies from behind her.

"I'm assuming," Kira shrugs timidly. "I felt myself getting really nervous and panicking and next thing I know I'm here."

Rey glances over her shoulder at Ben, both of them exchanging a skeptical look, feeling like they aren't entirely getting the full truth.

"Are you feeling okay?" Rey asks and shifts on the bed, making up her mind of what she needs to do to verify this information.

"I'm fine mom," Kira groans and sinks back into the bed.

"Okay," Rey smiles politely, knowing the teenager is getting frustrated and she's not going to get anywhere anymore. "We'll let you relax for a bit before bed."

"Night mom," Zyan says with his head tipped down at his game still. "Night dad."

"Good night," Ben and Rey both respond waiting for Kira to respond as well, but she doesn't move, just stays in her rolled-up position next to Zyan watching him play his game.

With an annoyed sigh, Rey closes the door behind her and looks up at Ben who stands in front of her with his arms crossed.

"What do we do?" He asks in a hushed whisper, barely audible over the noisy air vents that are working to cool the quarters down for the evening.

"There's only one thing I can think of," Rey mutters and lets her eyes fall as she thinks, Ben observing her and trying to read her thoughts which she hides from him effectively. "I'll be back in a bit," she says quietly and flashes her eyes back up to look up at him.

"Where are you going?" Ben asks while following her down the hallway.

"I need to talk to someone," she explains and shrugs on a jacket over her tunic. "I'll tell you when I get back."

Ben stops and stares at her again, his eyebrow raised quizzically. "No secrets," he reminds her.

"I know," she nods and steps towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist as he unfolds his arms and pulls her close. "I'll fill you in as soon as I'm back."

Ben wrestles with that promise, clearly stuck between wanting her to tell him and not wanting to push too hard. "Fine," he agrees reluctantly, drawing a small smile from Rey.

"I'll be back in a bit, I promise."


	27. Honesty

Rey has been wandering around the destroyer for a couple of hours at this point with one trooper trailing behind her by a few steps and taking his assigned job of watching the family of four a little too seriously. It was to the point that Rey feared if she used a bathroom other than the one in their own private quarters, this trooper, in particular, might just go so far as to follow her in there.

Despite the late time, the destroyer is still busy with activity and Rey stands in front of a window watching troopers and engineers moving around below her from the private observation room. Life here never calms or stops moving, there's always something to do, something to fix, and a plan to be made. Quiet simple moments like the ones she cherished in Argent don't exist anymore and she feels a sense of homesickness, wishing they could return back to that quiet life. Thankfully she conned her overzealous guard dog into waiting outside to give her a little privacy and time to think alone.

With heavy footsteps the Trooper she instructed Gabels to retrieve enters the room and approaches her, stopping a few paces behind her, and waiting patiently for her to acknowledge him. "FR-7781," Rey says simply while still turned towards the window, her eyes trained on two workers carrying a large black case across the hangar.

"You wished to speak to me, ma'am?" He asks and Rey turns, keeping her arms crossed in front of her.

"I owe you thanks for taking care of my daughter, keeping her safe," Rey begins, attempting to distract him while she tries to push into his mind which she is able to get into, but can't get very far, as if something is blocking her.

"Just doing my job," he replies modestly, and Rey chuckles and shakes her head, a light air of disbelief present.

"I already got an explanation from my daughter, I would appreciate one from you now too."

"What would you like to know?"

"What happened? How did she end up asleep like that?"

"She became distressed and panicked," he explains coolly. "I was trying to calm her down but she kept spiraling until she fainted from overexertion. Thankfully I was there to catch her so she didn't get hurt."

"Overexertion huh?" Rey mumbles with a hint of amusement. Her eyes move back up to the dark holes of the white helmet as she continues to push into his mind, noticing how what she is seeing seems perfectly curated, as if he's controlling what she sees and nothing more. "Take your helmet off," she demands suddenly and the trooper doesn't move.

"It's disrespectful for me to remove my helmet, especially in front of you ma'am," he says simply.

"It's disrespectful to ignore direct orders from your superior," Rey counters and stands her ground.

The trooper doesn't move immediately, heightening her curiosity until he reaches up with black and white-clad hands and removes his helmet. He's young, not even 25 yet, his skin dented from the helmet where it rests on his forehead. His dark hair is tousled and matted down around his head and he blinks his brown eyes at her, waiting for her to speak.

"How old are you?" Rey asks.

"Early twenties ma'am. I don't know my exact age though."

"How do you not know your exact age?"

"I don't remember anything about my beginnings," he explains. "I don't know how old I am, where I was born, or even if I had a different name before coming here."

"You didn't, I can tell you that much," Rey lies. "You were an orphan, rescued by the First Order, and given a better life. Your past isn't important."

"Rescued," the trooper almost laughs as he repeats the singular word and Rey narrows her eyes at him.

"We're looking for breaches within the ranks of the troopers, particularly force users. Would you know anything about this?"

"No ma'am," his face is stoic and professional as he works to still keep her out, his effort clear to her now.

"Good because the use of the force by a trooper is grounds for execution," Rey explains and steps back to the window, looking back down at everyone working. "Surely you must understand why we can't have anyone running around utilizing that amount of untrained and unsupervised power."

"I can imagine," he mumbles, his eyes trying to follow Rey cautiously as she begins to circle around him.

Rey circles back in front of him and stops a few paces away again, regarding his face one more time with a small smirk. The trooper shifts under her attention, unsure of what to do, and uncomfortable.

"That's all I have for you, you can go," Rey says with her fingers holding her chin, her elbow resting on her other arm crossed in front of her. The trooper nods at her and turns back towards the entrance of the room while rearranging his hair to put the helmet back on. "Oh Temiri," Rey adds and he freezes all movement, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Thank you for your honesty."

His eyes hold hers for a moment and she can sense the semblance of fear in him as he works to stay guarded. "You're welcome ma'am, have a good night," he says before he pulls his helmet back over his head and turns to leave.

—

The quarters are dark by the time she returns and her family has dispersed themselves into their own separate rooms. She can see light from Zyan's room around the door and she sneaks down the hallway, cracking the door open a touch.

"Zy," Rey whispers and he jumps, clearly too engrossed in his game to know she was near. "Stop playing your game and go to bed."

"Sorry," he whispers in return. "Let me finish this round."

"Then bed," Rey responds with a stern tone to her whisper. "Night."

"Night mom," he responds and Rey clicks the door shut.

"Mom?" Kira asks from behind her and this time it's Rey's turn to jump, having not heard the other door open.

"Hi honey, you okay?" Rey steps towards her, squinting to see in the dark hallway.

"Where were you?" Kira asks and wraps her sweater around her tighter, completely encasing her torso in the dark wool.

"I went to go speak with someone," Rey explains, not offering up any more details.

"Did you go speak with FR-7781?"

Rey blinks in shock at Kira being so forward with her question, her mouth parting as she searches for a response to appease the teenager.

"Kira, did you and the trooper meet before today?" Kira's eyes flick to the side and then drop down to the floor, her bottom lip being sucked into her mouth as she avoids Rey's eye contact. "Kira."

"No," she blurts out in a whisper but Rey can't tell if she's lying or not, she's become too good at hiding the truth and keeping Rey out of her mind.

"Kira," Rey pushes.

"What?" Kira snaps still in a whisper. "I didn't."

"Okay," Rey backs down and pushes Kira's hair back off her face. "Go back to bed, I'll see you in the morning."

Rey turns to walk back down the hallway but is stopped when she is almost to the living space by Kira's voice. "Is he going to die?"

She turns slowly, looking at Kira who hasn't moved from the spot she left her in. The fear is evident on her face and Rey can tell she cares for the boy, despite how wrong it is. But then again, who is she to judge whether a relationship is wrong or right considering her own marriage and how it came to be.

"He is safely back in his quarters," Rey responds simply.

"That doesn't answer my question."

Rey's mouth curls up at the corner at the sight of Kira being so confident and demanding. "Good night Kira," she whispers and turns, not giving any more energy to the conversation.

Ben snores softly from his side of the bed and she can see the faint outline of his sleeping figure as she sneaks into the room and slips into the closet. Changing out of her clothes from the day, she discards them on the floor, knowing that D8 will scold her in the morning for it, and slips her long silk nightgown on over her skin, the cool fabric chilling her.

Ben doesn't wake as she slips into the sheets behind him, and she scoots close to him until her front is pressed against his back, and she can wrap her arm completely over him, lacing her fingers in with his below his chin.

"What time is it?" Ben mumbles groggily.

"Late," Rey whispers in the back of his neck. "Go back to sleep."

Not following her directions, he rolls, tucking one of his arms under her pillow and pulling her flush against his bare chest with the other. "Who did you go talk to?"

Rey lets the silence hang for a moment, cursing herself for waking him up, she should have just stayed on the other side of the bed. "The trooper from today."

"And?"

"His story is the same as Kira's," Rey finishes.

"Did you think it would be different?" He mumbles into her hair while caressing her head and peppering slow kisses on her scalp aimlessly when he isn't speaking.

"I wasn't sure."

"Why?"

"It all just seemed a little suspicious."

"Why?"

"Why do I have to explain myself?" Rey snaps at him and tenses in his arms.

"Shhhh, don't get amped up," he comforts and runs his hand around on her back. "You're just not making any sense."

"I think you're too tired to understand."

"Maybe," he sighs, his eyes still closed.

"Go back to sleep, we'll talk in the morning."

"Yes, we will and don't avoid me," Ben teases, his voice heavy with sleep.

"Good night, I love you," Rey whispers and moves forward to kiss him.

"I love you too," he responds between a couple of kisses.

Ben shifts next to her, his arms still tightly wrapped around her, and she rolls to back up against him, so she is curled up on her side in his embrace. The sound of his breath dropping and slowing announces that he is already asleep again, and she lets her mind wander freely as a result.

FR-7781 is a new issue for her to tackle. She knows he's from Canto Bight, one of the children she had the troopers take from the stables, the ones Kira accused them of potentially killing. Of course, the teenager isn't aware that the kids all survived and some are on the ship and part of basic daily operations.

Ben had given orders to have them put through intensive reconditioning that would basically brainwash them to forget any and all powers, but is it possible that he somehow regained memory of his powers. Maybe he learned of them by accident again, the intimate connection with the force isn't something that is easily lost. Surely discovering that would ignite curiosity in any sensible human and they would explore it, it was silly of them to believe they wouldn't access their abilities, but then again, Rey knew she couldn't have the blood of those children on her hands.

Then there's the whole issue of his name, which he clearly recognized and in a way responded to. Without a doubt, he remembers his name prior to the First Order, but how? How did he retain that information all the way through what he was put through? How did a boy that young know how to resist the brainwashing and hold onto that information so easily?

Rey knows it's not as easy as reassigning him or ordering for his execution for use of the force because Kira has formed a sort of attachment to him which is another thing Rey doesn't understand. How do you form an attachment to someone whom you've never seen without a helmet unless she has somehow managed to be around him without it. She's sneaky after all, cunning and able to easily fly under the radar.

Rey tosses and turns for most of the night, mulling over what exactly that solution is, but never actually coming to a definitive decision. Before she knows it, Ben is moving next to her, pulling her out of the light sleep she had just fallen into, and she rolls onto her side, pretending that she’s still asleep so he won’t question her any further.


	28. Alike

Metal trays clank together in the back of the kitchen and ring out to the rest of the cafeteria mixing with the sound of voices holding friendly conversation. Kira keeps her head down and her hood pulled over her face as she collects food from the lines, trying to be discreet about being somewhere she clearly doesn't belong. 

"This is the last place I expected to see you, Princess," a familiar voice says behind her and she turns to look over her shoulder at him, just to be disappointed that he is still wearing his helmet unlike the rest of the troopers that are already sitting. 

"7781?" She whispers, peering up into the holes of his mask. 

"Does anyone else call you Princess?" He counters and she smiles, the gesture that he has his own personal nickname making her giddy. A lieutenant walks by a little too close and he stands up straighter, clearing his throat before switching into a professional tone. "I've been tasked with escorting you to a table on your visit to our cafeteria if you'll follow me?" He gestures with his free hand and she follows happily, reveling in the fact that her plan to find him has so far worked. 

While they walk, she looks around at everyone at the tables in their uniforms, their heads free of their helmets that rest on the tables next to their trays of food. The humanization of these intimidating masked figures is strange to her and she can't help but stare at them, noting the diverse levels of ethnicities and genders scattered throughout the large room, many of them clearly not much older than she is herself.

Settling at a table in the far corner where there are multiple open tables she watches him sit down across from her, moving stiffly in his constricting uniform. Butterflies form in her stomach as he reaches up and grabs his helmet to remove it, his fingers pausing at the bottom lip of the white metal. "Do I have your permission to remove this?" 

"You don't need to ask me, but yes." 

"Actually I do need to ask you," he points out and pulls the helmet off, revealing his face to her again for the first time since the gala. She had forgotten how attractive she found him and despite the fact that his hair isn't styled like it had been that evening and his face is red where the helmet rubs, she still feels her cheeks get hot as he looks up at her and smiles. 

"So, are you going to tell me why you're down here?" He asks as he begins cutting the overcooked food on his tray that Kira has no interest in eating. 

"Maybe when you tell me a name I can call you besides your impersonal designation," Kira counters and waits for him to respond. 

He pauses for a second and stabs at another piece on his plate before looking up at her. "Not here," he mutters, his expression having changed. 

"Why not?" She whispers recognizing the hesitation and cautiousness in him. 

"It's not safe," he explains, not offering any more information to her and shoving another bite into his mouth.

"Why?" She presses and leans forward. 

"Just trust me," he looks up at her, his expression that of warning cueing that she needs to back down.

"Okay, then when?" She asks calmly. 

"How do you feel about sneaking out?" 

"Ha!" Kira laughs and sits back up, grabbing her utensils to begin cutting the food. "I'm a professional when it comes to that."

"Good," he says with a smile, his eyes crinkling up in the corners as she likes. "I'm on post tonight, I'll accompany you wherever you want to go. That is if you think you can get past the great Kylo Ren and the Empress."

"They don't scare me," she says with a wave of her hand. "To me, they're just mom and dad. They're too preoccupied with each other to even notice me gone for a couple of hours."

"Love does crazy things to you," he mumbles while still looking at his food and Kira stares at him as his eyes flick up to hers and then back down at his food. 

"Yeah, I guess," she agrees quietly and focuses her attention on her food as well as she fights her quickly reddening cheeks. 

—   
After waiting what she deemed an appropriate amount of time after the rest of her family went to bed, Kira cracks her door open, looking out towards the living space first to check that no lights are on and then stepping out to the hallway. The lights in Zyan's room are off and she hopes he's asleep so he doesn't hear her. 

As she slips her boots on, she hears a door open down one of the hallways followed almost immediately by the sound of her parent’s bathroom door clicking shut, but she ducks behind the couch to wait anyways in case both of them came out. 

"What are you doing?" Zyan's voice startles her and she peeks at him over the couch. 

"Shhhh," she shushes quickly and motions for him to go away. 

"What?" He asks again, clearly oblivious, and walks towards her. 

"Kriff Zy, shut up."

Stepping around the couch and looking at her in the dim light from the nightlights in the kitchen, Zyan's face crinkles up into a smile as he notices that she's still dressed for the day. "We're back to sneaking out?"

"I swear if you rat me out after I saved your ass when you snuck out with me on Argent far more than once..." she begins to threaten and is cut off by Zyan.

"Whoa, I won't tell," he defends quickly with his hands up in the air. "If," he begins and pauses. 

Kira rolls her eyes and looks up at him from her hiding spot. "What?"

"If you tell me where you’re going, or more importantly, who you’re going to meet," he finishes and crosses his arms across his chest knowing he has her trapped. 

"Who said I'm meeting someone? Maybe I'm just going for a walk." 

"In the middle of the night?" He asks with a disbelieving tone and his eyebrow raised. "I know you, the twin connection betrays you, just like it did on Argent when you were sneaking out to meet Atlyn?”

"Fine," Kira rolls her eyes not wanting him to continue. "But if I tell you, you don't speak a word of this to mom and dad, even if they question you." 

"Yeah yeah, I promise. Now spill."

"I'm going to meet FR-7781," Kira whispers, a smile forming on her face at the mention of his name.

"You have a secret affair with a stormtrooper?" Zyan's mouth falls open and he speaks a little too loud, causing Kira to panic that they'll be heard.

"Shhhhh," she shushes again as the door at the end of the hallway opens and footsteps she recognizes as her father's walks down the hallway, but don't stop at their bedroom, causing both of the twins to panic.

"I got this," Zyan assures and stands up walking back around to the kitchen.

The lights flip on and Kira crouches down even further praying she's concealed behind the couch and Zyan isn't going to blow her cover. 

"Zy what are you doing up?" Ben asks, the sound of the cupboard opening and a glass being set on the counter accompanying his voice. 

"Just grabbing water," Zyan answers and fakes a yawn. 

"Here," Ben mumbles and opens the cupboard again, setting another glass on the counter and filling both of them. "Was that you I heard talking?"

"Yeah," Zyan stutters, and Kira closes her eyes, hoping her brother can get it together and figure out a good lie. "I stubbed my toe in the dark."

"Hate it when that happens," Ben says through a yawn, his tone giving away that he isn’t in the mood to hold any conversation. "Anyways, sleep well."

"Yeah you too dad," Zyan mumbles as Ben walks away and he acts as if he's walking back to his own bedroom as well. As soon as the door to the bedroom shuts again, Zyan turns to Kira. "Go."

"Thank you," she whispers. 

"You owe me." 

"Yeah yeah," Kira brushes him off and runs down the stairs lightly, praying her parents don't hear the sound of the main entrance opening and closing. A noisy automatic door wasn't something she had to worry about back on Argent and she really missed the ease of sneaking out of that house. 

"Good evening gentlemen," Kira chirps once the door is closed, looking between the two troopers that flank the door. "I'm going for a walk, which one of you is going to follow me this time?" She teases as she always does whenever she goes anywhere and they have to follow her. 

"I can go this time," the trooper on the left speaks up and Kira immediately can tell it's FR-7781. 

"Try to keep up," she adds and turns abruptly down the hall, keeping the act that nothing is out of the ordinary up. 

He catches up to her by the time they've turned and are walking down the next hallway. "Where to?" He asks. 

"I have a spot," she says with a smile and falls into step next to him, focusing on the feeling of her heart trying to beat out of her chest. 

Kira leads him to the top floor to a maintenance deck in the boiler room where very few people go. The multi-story room below is quiet outside of the hum of the machines, the ramps and platforms with controls empty of people and she takes a seat on the edge of the walkway in a shaded spot that has become her special hideaway. After unauthorized trips into the security rooms, she had determined this spot wasn't able to be seen by cameras and was almost never visited by anyone. 

"Not bad," he observes as he carefully sits next to her, his movement restricted like normal and making their precarious perch a little more dangerous for him. 

"This is where I come when I want to get away. No one has found me yet and I haven't brought anyone up with me," Kira explains and looks over at him still wearing the helmet. "Except now of course."

"Glad I made the cut." 

"You know you can take that off," Kira encourages, hoping he will give her the opportunity to see him twice in one day. 

"You promise no one comes up here?" 

"I promise."

Kira watches as he removes his helmet, revealing the soft profile of his face and she feels the butterflies kick up yet again. The amount that she finds herself attracted to him she finds alarming as it is a fairly new feeling, igniting an emotion in her that is entirely foreign and a bit scary. She had experienced small crushes before, specifically on her friend Atylyn in argent, her best friend to be exact, but nothing ever materialized from that. Kira can admit she wonders frequently what her friend is up to and if she's safe, cherishing the fond memories of her laugh and smile over drinks they were too young to be consuming in the cantina. This though, this is different than that simple crush, and she wonders if the way she is feeling is comparable at all to the stories her mother tells her of meeting her father. She'd like to think it is, but in all reality, what does she really know about this man?

"So Princess, what do you want to know?" He says and turns his body a touch to look at her. She runs her eyes across his entire face, vowing to commit every detail to memory since she doesn't see it nearly as much as she would like.

"Let's start with that name." 

"Temiri."

"And why was that such a big secret?" Kira asks, noticing how easily he just answered the question without hesitation. 

"Because it's my actual name given to me at birth. Due to the brainwashing and conditioning, I endured here after being kidnapped, there's no way I should remember that name."  
"What?" Kira flips her head to look at him, her mouth hanging open. 

"I was taken from my home on Canto Bight when I was young," he explains.

"You're one of the children," Kira marvels, remembering the stories Atlyn had told her about the Emperor and Empress and the awful things they had done. Obviously, there are horrifically worse things they did, but capturing children was present on that list.

"Yes. I'm one of the few who remembers anything or will admit that I remember anything." 

"How did you resist the brainwashing? I've asked too many questions about it and have learned it's intense and something that’s hard to outlast." 

"I'm going to let you in on a secret, but you can't tell anyone," Temiri says more seriously this time as he removes his gloves and sets them on the floor behind them. "Give me your hands." 

Kira hesitantly sets her hands in his, both of them having since backed up from the edge, one of their legs bent so they can turn towards each other more and the other still dangling over the edge.

He closes his eyes and she watches him curiously, taking the hint that she too should close her eyes and play along with whatever he's doing. With a deep breath, they both relax, their shoulders falling slack and their hands lowering down a touch. 

Bright images fill her mind, flashing through like a video on a hologram in front of her eyes. She sees a young boy in the stables, sleeping curled up in a ball behind a large creature that stands far above his head. You can tell the boy is not cared for to the level he should be, probably the result of some dim-witted master. He shifts his hand up to his face, peeking his eyes open just long enough to click a small lever on his ring open and close it again with a small finger. The ring is too large for him, but he keeps it on his thumb where it almost fits snugly. 

The boy plays with the other orphans who work in the stables, having a competition to see who can keep a rock in the air the longest. Force users obviously. Their fun is cut short by the sound of conversation of two troopers watching them from a distance. The children scatter, crawling under the gates of the creatures and hiding in their own respective beds in the back corners of the pens. As the sound of the troopers fade, the vision switches again, this time there's ships and transports landing on the track, a group of heavily armed troopers storming into the stables.  
A trooper roughly grabs the boy, restraining him with little effort, and carries him to the transport, the boy kicking and screaming the entire way, the ring slipping off of his thumb and being left behind in the dirt.

The vision flicks between different moments, him being thrown into a small room with the other orphans, all of them huddling into the corner together, then sitting in a room with officials in black uniforms standing around them and what looks like nurses. Outside of the room, she can see a younger version of her parents, speaking with the creepy man who showed up in their home and who she's barely seen in the time they've been on the destroyer. 

A tear slips down her cheek as she watches the effects of the brainwashing, the training, the so-called therapy, eventually ending in him being forced into battle with a blaster at too young of an age.

"We're more alike than you think," Temiri whispers and Kira opens her eyes hesitantly, her vision blurry from the tears clinging to her eyelashes. 

"Yeah we are," she agrees, dropping her eyes down to the white chest plate across his front while she wrestled with her thoughts. "You’re one of the force users my parents speak of over dinner."

"I am," he responds simply. 

"They ruined your life," she adds, disbelieving and shame the most prominent of her clustered emotions. 

"In a way yes. Not that there was much to ruin," he pauses and thinks, a smirk tugging at his lip. "The training and brainwashing was pretty horrific, but I had three hot meals a day and an actual bed so not every change was a bad one." 

"How do you stay so positive after everything you've been through?" 

"Negative mindsets are destructive and leave you empty in the long run. Finding the good, even in the direst situation, that's how you lead a semblance of a happy life. Something, no offense, I can tell you struggle with."

"You know, you're starting to sound like you know me better than I know myself," Kira laughs and leans onto her hand that is resting behind her. 

"I'm very perceptive of people, always have been. It's what has kept me alive this long, I can easily tell when I shouldn't trust someone long before they ever wrong me."

"Yeah?" Kira asks and leans forward. "Like who? Give me an example of someone you can't trust."

"Okay. How about your brother." 

Kira cocks her head and scrunches her face up. "My brother?" 

"Yeah, you're brother. He's an interesting one really," he begins and shifts, trying his best to get comfortable. "I'm not trying to ruin your relationship but he's sneaky. A rule follower on the surface, but I can tell there's a selfish side to him, he'll turn on anyone who stands in his way when it comes to his image. Let me guess, he strives for constant approval from your parents and does anything he needs to earn that approval even if it means betraying you, consequently pushing you to rebel more?"

Kira's mouth hangs open slightly, her brows furrowed together as she processes his words, alarmed that he has her and her twin so well figured out. It would be great if she could deny it, tell him he's insane, inform him that her relationship with her brother is perfect and there's nothing to analyze to this degree, but she also knows that every word he just said is undoubtedly the truth that she has spent her entire life trying to suppress. 

"I think I should be getting back," Kira mumbles and shifts to stand up but is stopped by Temiri grabbing her arm. 

"I'm not trying to turn you against him, please don't take it that way."

"I know you're not," she assures him and stands up with him, following suit to keep up with her. "It's just a lot to process and I'm tired." 

"Will I see you again or did I just overstep my boundaries."

"Not even a little bit," Kira laughs and steps forward and stands on her tiptoes, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek, her throat tensing from nerves and she knows her face is bright red. As she pulls away, his eyes meet hers, a comfort she rarely feels from anyone else filling her and she finds peace in his eyes for a moment. Without any question, Temiri wraps his hand up around her neck, his thumb resting below her ear and she melts into his touch, the butterflies joining the large scratchy lump in her throat. 

She screams internally as they hold each other's gaze quietly until his eyes leave hers to scan across her forehead where he brushes a hair away right before pulling her even closer to him and places a gentle kiss in return on her lips.

Kira's entire mind goes fuzzy as she processes what's happening and kisses him back. The kiss is simple and tender, but to her, it is perfect and she busts out into a smile as he pulls away. 

"I hope that was okay?" He asks, his own cheeks turning a deep shade of red and his hand fixing his hair. 

"That was— um - yeah— great- that was," Kira stutters as she takes a step back, her words jumbled and disorganized in her head and coming out of her mouth in an even worse state. "Good, that's fine."

"Good," he smiles and laughs, enjoying how cute she is. "Then one more won't hurt," he adds and leans down, kissing her one more time, this time slower and with more purpose. He releases her and holds her eyes, both of their faces dropped into a dopey grin. "Let's get you home Princess," Temiri says right before placing the helmet back on his head and picking his blaster back up.


	29. Underprepared

With her head back against the wall, Kira watches as the other three members of her family stare down at the holo table, all of their faces illuminated by the artificial blue light. Her annoyance with her brother has been rising significantly as he spends every day now following their father around like a puppy, doing anything and everything he can to gain even the smallest amount of recognition or affection from Ben. 

Both of the children know that Ben favors Kira for reasons that are unknown to them, but as a result, Kira finds that her brother spends an unhealthy amount of time shooting into the dark with attempts of success, hoping he can find something that will allow him to outshine her. 

She has no desire in listening to whatever it is they're droning on about but she watches as their father smiles and clamps his hand down on Zyan's shoulder in a form of congratulatory "good job," to which Zyan smiles and nods back at him, eliciting an eye roll from Kira. 

Tipping her head back to look out the window to the hangar, she allows her mind to wander but is sure to keep her mental walls up as to not tip any of her family off to the truth. The weeks have been passing slowly, broken up by the occasional lunch and evening walk twice a week when Temiri is on post overnight, but overall, the time between their sweet encounters moves far too slow while their short allotments of time together are over in a blink of an eye. 

She wonders if she gives him the same kind of crazy butterflies that she feels anytime she can sense that he is near. It's exciting, the constant draw to someone making it nearly impossible for the two to stay apart. Kira wishes she could talk to her mother about this openly instead of waiting for her to go on one of her reminiscent tangents where she smiles like an idiot and her eyes go all starry. While Rey probably loves her daughter’s curiosity when it comes to the old stories of her and Ben's puppy love, she is completely unaware of the ulterior motive behind Kira's endless follow-up questions. 

'Kriff, you're annoying,' Zyan breaks through her thoughts in their mental connection and Kira brings her head up sharply to look at him. 

'How did you do that?' Kira retorts silently, looking back at him, both of their faces deadpan outside of her eyebrows that are involuntarily scrunching together from confusion. 

'Twin thing, you can't hide from me,' he shrugs and looks back down at the table to make himself look busy. 

'That's not fair.'

'Life's not fair,' Zyan responds with a sly grin on his still face, his eyes twinkling at her while he waits for a challenge. 

"Zy," Ben says sharply and the teenager turns back to him, leaving his sister alone and she stands up to walk to the window, leaning the front of her legs against the protruding window sill and crossing her arms. 

It has become an even larger annoyance now that they have figured out how to communicate through the force without tipping their parents off. At first, it was fun and they were able to plan quite a bit without their parents knowing, but now, Zyan rarely uses it for good and instead spends most of the time he communicates with her in that fashion just pestering and taunting her. 

An alarm on the table erupts into the gentle murmur of the room and all four members of the family along with a couple of other offices and generals turn to the table. Captain Gabel’s figure, clad in shiny metal armor, helmet in hand appears on an elevated part of the table.

"Gabels, what's going on?" Rey snaps and leans forward onto the table across from the small figure, her face serious and tense. 

"We are retreating ma'am," he responds simply and glances over his shoulder at an unknown target. 

"Retreating? What do you mean? Why?" Rey snaps with more aggression, her knuckles turning white from gripping the edge of the table.

"The resistance has become too powerful in their attack and we were underprepared ma'am," he explains calmly and glances over his shoulder again, surely towards a potential threat or escalating situation. "We have sustained many injuries and casualties as a result. I cannot risk any more of my men. We are pulling out now and will return soon."

"Do what you must," Ben responds simply and Gabel's disappears with a nod. 

"A word," Rey mumbles to Ben and motions for him to follow her out to the hallway directly outside of the control room. 

In the absence of her parents, Kira turns back to the window, fear overtaking her, and she twists her hands in front of her anxiously. She can only assume that Temiri was on this mission, what if he's one of the injured or even worse, what if he's one of the many causalities that have apparently occurred?

She can feel her brother trying to push into her brain, but she pushes back with a vengeance, denying him access to her thoughts in her vulnerable and worried state. It's none of his business anyway. 

They wait for what seems like hours, Zyan finding a chair to sit on and wait while Kira paces in front of the window, continuously looking back down at the hangar as if the ships are just going to suddenly appear. Eventually, Ben and Rey return, clearly both upset with the other, and start working on separate jobs at opposite ends of the table and holding conversations with anyone but the other. This has become an all too familiar pattern between them since returning to the destroyer, their mom has a head-strong bout and their dad attempts to stand up to her, just to have them left in silence for hours after an obvious fight. Miraculously they're always better the next morning, but Kira doesn't have any desire to know what that could possibly be the result of. 

A tremor shakes the walls and floor around them, and Kira spins, her eyes catching Rey's, the question of what that was exchanged between them.

"They're not slowing down!" An engineer yells from a station across the room and Kira turns back around to look out past the opening of the hangar at a ship careening towards the destroyer opening at alarming speeds. "Their landing gear is broken," the engineer adds, but Kira is frozen in fear, watching this large chunk of metal barreling down on them, every one in its path below scrambling to vacate the space. 

"Get back," Ben demands to Kira and grabs her arm pulling her back as the entire room shakes from the ship coming into contact with the floor of the hangar, a combination of an awful screeching sound, scrapping metal, and a crash erupting. Everyone cowers on the far side of the room and hides behind the rows of computers, covering their ears in response to the horrendous noise. The ship slows as it drags across the polished metal floor, leaving a hefty gouge where it has traveled until it comes to an abrupt halt against the back wall with a loud crash, the entire room shaking once again. 

Once the destroyer has stilled again, Ben releases Kira and she runs back to the window that has a small crack in it, and she cranes her neck to look down at the ship, watching in relief as troopers start to unload, some of them clearly injured themselves, and others helping those that are too injured to move on their own. 

"The Resistance is here," Rey snaps as she pulls up the aerial map around the ship, revealing small x-wing fighters circling in and out with the Tie fighters that are quickly exiting from other smaller hangars that are still operational. “They must have followed them back.”

"Zyan and I will jump in the Tie," Ben says without hesitation, motioning for his son to follow. "Kira, help your mother if the Resistance somehow makes their way onboard."

Ben steps over to Rey quickly, his hand wrapping around her waist and his lips meeting hers quickly despite their obvious fight shortly before. "I love you," she whispers and turns back to the table. 

"I love you too," he responds and runs off the bridge with Zyan closely following. 

"Close it off!" Rey yells to the engineers on the far side of the room, motioning at the unmanned opening of the hangar and demanding that they utilize the stronger security to keep the Resistance out. "Don't just look at me, close it off, or do you need me to do it for you?"

"Mom," Kira says timidly but Rey doesn't hear her, just continues to stomp around and glare down at the table. "Mom," she says again, this time a little louder and Rey's head snaps up.

"What?"

"What about the troopers?" Kira asks and points down at the hangar. 

"What about them?"

"Are we going to make sure they're okay?"

"No," Rey snaps and clicks at a few things on the screen that tracks all of the ships that are out from the First Order. 

"But mom."

"Kira," Rey sighs and crosses her arms in front of her. "Go wait over there, I'll come to get you if needed okay?"

"Mom-"

"Not now," Rey snaps again and turns her back to her, making it clear that the conversation is over. 

\--

The First Order isn't entirely sure when it happened, but at some point, the resistance had nearly multiplied five times over, gained more resources, and upgraded their ships significantly under their new leadership. As a result, the First Order keeps finding themselves underprepared due to underestimating just how much they'll need to successfully counter the attacks that are increasing in frequency. 

Bringing the fight to the destroyer was the best move as they were able to harness all of their resources to fend off the Resistance, leaving the attackers no option but to eventually retreat and sparing the First Order any more losses in both personnel and in resources. 

The door is lodged open to the hangar, the smell of burning plastic and melting metal seeping into the hallway she distinctly remembers her first meeting with Temiri in, the first time he called her Princess, coining that little nickname as their special thing. The heels of Mother’s boots echo on the floor in a sharp click with each of her steps and the remaining troopers all adjust to stand at attention as the family of four rounds the corner into the expansive hangar that is now a pile of metal and shrapnel.

"Gabels," Ben addresses the trooper who's head is concealed under his helmet in the presence of the lower-ranking troopers. "These are all the men you have left?" 

"All the men that were out and survived yes."

Ben and Rey observe the room silently, stepping forward to walk between the two groups of troopers lined up in perfectly straight grids. Kira anxiously looks around the room at each individual mask, flipping through their minds when she looks at them as if she's flipping through a book looking for a specific passage. The further she gets through the troopers with no success, the more anxious she becomes and the more she feels as if the world is crashing down around her. If he's not here, then he's either in the quarters or dead and if he's dead, then what will she do?

Just when she thinks her efforts are useless, she finds him, his calming presence immediately wrapping around her despite the physical distance between them. Kira breathes out a sigh of relief, allowing her shoulders to relax and her eyes hold the gaze she knows lies just behind that of the black holes of his helmet. 

After the chaos of the day, the small nod she believes she sees him give her is the first real stillness she has felt all day, and she finally feels completely at peace again.

"Kira," her mother says, more gently than how she was speaking earlier this morning. "I need to speak with you."

"Okay," Kira mumbles and turns to follow, taking one more backward glance over her shoulder at Temiri, knowing his eyes are still trained on her, before following her mother out to the hallway. 

Rey stops in front of her, looking both directions to confirm that they are alone and that no one will overhear their conversation. 

“You’re distracted,” Rey says simply and crosses her arms while she waits for a response. 

“No?” Kira attempts to lie, her effort not overly convincing. 

“I understand your desire to feel compassion for the troopers, but at some point, you will need to learn how to disassociate and stop fixating on them. At the end of the day, we can’t save them all.”

“How can you say that?” Kira asks, appalled by Rey’s words. 

“Kira, their main purpose is to protect us,” Rey explains. “Troopers die so we don’t.”

“We weren’t even there, how was that protecting us?” Kira reasons. 

“You don’t know the Resistance as I do, they won’t stop until they’ve eliminated us.”

“Seems like an honorable mission if you ask me,” Kira says to Rey flatly, her face Stoney. 

“Watch tour tongue, there’s no room for traitors, especially not in my family,” Rey hisses lower and steps forward. 

“Or what? What will you do mom? Have me ‘conditioned’ like the kids from Canto Bight?”

“That’s quite enough,” Rey mutters and steps back, obvious hurt and anger in her eyes. “Guard,” she says loudly to address the trooper at the end of the hallway watching them. “Return her to our quarters and ensure she doesn’t leave.”

“Yes ma’am,” he responds curtly and approaches them, stopping in place while he waits for Kira to move. 

“Take time to think about your words and actions,” Rey orders in an intimidating hushed tone before turning and leaving the hallway. 

Kira stares at the wall for a moment, her arms crossed, and her eyes so harsh that she would surely burn holes in the wall if that was at all possible. Her blood is boiling, pure rage coursing through her at her mother’s words and her indifference and lack of compassion for the troopers, some of whom she is responsible for their imprisonment here.

“Ma’am,” the trooper says politely and Kira flicks her gaze to him, staring him down and waiting for him to speak. “I’m to escort you upstairs.”

“You will leave me to escort myself and return to your post,” Kira says in an even tone and moves her hand in front of his face. 

“I will leave you to escort yourself and return to my post,” he repeats in an equal even tone, and turns back down the hallway. Kira watches him with a smirk as he takes his post again, resting his blaster gently in his hands and she turns, heading the opposite direction than the quarters.


	30. I'll See You

The small handheld game vibrates furiously in his hands and he resists the urge to throw it against the wall out of anger. This is the ninth game in a row Zyan has lost and the rage in him is building up to the point that he is surely going to blow soon.

Across the hall, Kira's door opens slowly and Zyan sits quietly, watching as she sneaks in, shuffles around in her still darkened room, most likely changing, and then sneaks back out, taking extra care to close her door quietly.

"Psst," Zyan whispers and Kira's head snaps to look in his direction, her eyes squinting as she attempts to make out anything in the dark room.

"Who sits with their door open at this time of night?" Kira asks as she steps into the room her arms crossed in front of her stomach as if she's trying to conceal the fact that she is wearing daytime clothes in the middle of the night.

"Where were you? Mom and Dad were furious when they returned to find you gone."

"Shocked they didn't come to find me," Kira scoffs.

"They probably know their efforts are useless at this point," he points out and they both look at each other silently, neither of them knowing what to say. "Are you going to see him again?" Zyan asks bluntly and clicks the small panels of lights up to illuminate the room in soft yellow light.

"Why is that any of your business?"

"Just asking, jeeze, someone is touchy today ever since her precious trooper nearly died," Zyan says in a mocking tone, a smile spread nearly across his entire face.

"What is your problem?" Kira bites and steps forward.

"My problem? What is yours?"

"I don't have one, but you seem to. You haven't been yourself and you know it."

"Neither have you."

"How haven't I Zy?" Kira raises her voice a little and steps up to the foot of the bed that he is sitting on and rests her hands on the footboard. "I've been sneaking out yes, but I haven't changed. You, on the other hand, you're an entirely different person."

"Am not."

"Yes, you are! You are angry all the time and constantly trying to get under my skin, not to mention how much energy you spend just trying to get dad to notice you."

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"I've always been Dad's favorite," Kira says directly and Zyan shifts his jaw just like Ben's little twitch when he’s unhappy. "But guess what, you've always been Mom's, so buck up and get over it. We're even."

"Who needs to grow up? How about all of your little tantrums every time you think something has happened to him. How about those three months you wouldn't speak to Mom and Dad? How is that mature?"

"That was months ago."

"So?" Zyan counters, not willing to back down.

Kira lets out an exasperated sigh. "Whatever, I'm not doing this. If they ask, you didn't see me."

"And what if I don't feel like lying to them anymore?"

Kira turns away from him and walks out the door, the words 'you will' slipping through their connection and back to him. The rage that was present in him before from simply losing the game too many times boils up even hotter now, and he can feel himself slipping to loss of control, something that doesn't happen often, but when it does, the results are never good.

What usually stops him from slipping that far is the look he always gets from his parents. The knowing look he gets from his dad as he acknowledges just how much Zyan is like him, the rage within him boiling up just like it did when their dad was the legend of Kylo Ren, a vile creature that their parents rarely care to speak about. On the flip side though, the look he receives from his mother is more that of fear as she looks at a miniature version of the creature she used to fear when she was only a few years older than he is now.

Kira is pushing him more than he likes, calling out his weakness and making fun of him and he detests her for it. He knows he wants to do something to get back at her, make her understand how angry he truly is with her, and draw a clear line in the sand. Setting the game to the side, he sits back in the bed, thinking about how he can get back at her, an epiphany coming to him in no time. With determination, he gets out of bed, having made up his mind and knowing exactly what he needs to do to even the playing field again.

\--

Rey snuggles closer into Ben's chest seemingly as if she can't get close enough to him. They've been together a few years short of twenty years and it still melts his heart how she continuously wants to be touching and near him. Her skin is soft and he pulls her even tighter against him, taking in the sweet smell of her freshly washed hair.

Ben knows they should both get some sleep, that it's far too late for them to still be up and actually be of any use tomorrow. "You still mad at me?" Ben whispers into the top of her head and spreads his fingers out on her bare lower back.

"No," she whispers back, the smile in her voice audible. "You still mad at me?"

"How could I be?" He teases back and presses a small kiss into the top of her head.

"I'm worried Ben," Rey whispers and tightens her arms around him.

"About?" He prompts patiently and waits for her to continue.

"They seem," she pauses. "They seem to be changing and drifting away from each other."

"They're almost adults, of course they're changing," Ben points out, his lips still pressed against the top of her head and his eyes closed.

"I guess," Rey sighs, the air from her nose tickling across his chest. "What if we lose one of them?"

"How would we lose one of them?" Ben asks in search of clarity.

"I don't know, but what if it happens?"

Ben doesn't respond as he thinks, just runs circles on her back and looks up at the ceiling above them illuminated in the red light that Rey has insisted on sleeping in since arriving back on the destroyer. "I don't think it will, but if it does, we'll figure it out. But don't live in fear of the future, you know that's not a good path."

"I know," she whispers and buries her head deeper into his chest.

Holding her tight, Ben can feel her limbs start to loosen around him, and the occasional twitch of her legs and fingers alerting him that she has entered a dream state. Just when he is about to drift off as well, the door opens slowly and Ben lifts his head, finding Zyan peeking his head in.

"Zy, what's up?" Ben whispers, his eyebrows scrunched together as he tries to determine why his teenage son is coming into their room at this time of night. The last time he did that was when he was little, a third of the size he is now, and he had a bad dream or it was storming.

"I need to tell you something," Zyan whispers and steps closer to the bed.

Ben takes a moment to roll Rey over to her own side, making sure to keep her rolled up in the warm blankets, and follows Zyan out to the kitchen after slipping lounge pants on.

Zyan seems nervous and on edge, his hands balled up into fists and his shoulders forward, tipping Ben off to the fact that he isn’t anxious, but is instead angry.

"What's going on?" Ben asks as leans back against the counter in the kitchen, preparing himself to talk his son down off the ledge and avoid another destructive outburst.

"It's Kira," Zyan blurts out, shoving his hands in his pockets and he paces back and forth erratically.

"What about her?" Ben asks with concern.

"Relax, you're prized child is fine," Zyan says with a sneer and rolls his eyes. "But she came back home a while ago just to sneak out again."

"Oh?" Ben asks and quirks his eyebrow up, his own annoyance raising. "And do you know where she went this time?"

"Where she always goes," Zyan shrugs. "To hang out with her secret boyfriend."

"Secret boyfriend?"

"What are you two doing?" Rey's sleepy voice interrupts and they both look over at the hallway where Rey stands with her hair falling around her shoulders and her long robe wrapped around her.

"Apparently Kira came home but then snuck back out," Ben explains somewhat calmly with his arms still crossed, his head running in circles about this so-called secret boyfriend and how she would have managed to find that here.

"What?" Rey snaps and rushes down the hallway, flinging all of the doors open, loud thuds echoing back to the kitchen from the doors slamming into the wall and then closed again, before storming back to the kitchen, her eyes wild. "Where the kriff is she?"

"With the trooper," Zyan says simply.

"What trooper?" Ben asks in response to this new information.

"Are you that dull?" Rey turns her anger on Ben, her tone a little biting and he glares at her in warning. "Fr-7781."

"He's still around?"

"He never went away!" Rey yells and throws her hands up. "He the trooper from the transport and the one you sent her with when she ‘fainted.” Rey emphasizes the word ‘fainted’ with air quotes and Ben’s eyebrow raises even further up.

"And the one she met at the gala," Zyan adds and both Ben and Rey turn to him, their mouths open.

"I had no idea that was him," Ben clarifies.

"Well obviously," Rey rolls her eyes at him still trying to piece everything together.

"He was at the gala too?" Ben asks Zyan.

"The troopers weren't allowed at the Gala," Rey adds.

"Well, he was there," Zyan shrugs and reaches over to grab a piece of fruit nonchalantly. "I saw Kira leave with a tall man with dark hair in a tux."

"There's no way," Ben mumbles and pulls his hand down his jaw.

“Have you met her, she’s crafty,” Rey states, her fingers pushing into her temples on either side and her eyes shut.

“What are we going to do about him?”

"We'll deal with him later," Rey brushes the conversation off and walks back to the bedroom. "We're going to find her, she's so grounded."

—

Ben is fuming as he storms down the hallway, but he's well aware that his wife might actually be angrier than he is in this given moment. He's still very confused by this situation, clearly not putting the pieces together as well as Rey apparently has, and he rolls them around in his head.

Accessing the control panel for the cameras, they were able to find Kira, despite the fact that she is proficient at avoiding most of them. From the few sightings they have of her, they were able to determine she's in the living quarters for the troopers, somewhere she knows she shouldn't be.

"I highly doubt she's here," Gabels assures as they follow him down the stark white hallways where the troopers reside in their small individual quarters that barely provide enough room to take more than a step or two. "This is FR-7781's bunk," he says simply and steps back allowing Rey and Ben to do what they feel necessary.

Rey pushes the button the light that was previously red signifying that it’s locked turning green, and the door slides to the side as the lights turn on inside. Under the thin blanket, lies the same trooper she spoke with face to face a few weeks ago, but even less shocking is the sight of Kira curled up along his side with her head on his bare chest and her arm slung across him.

Temiri stirs, his eyes opening slowly in response to the unwelcome bright light until he spots the new visitors, to which they pop open in shock, and he begins to sit up, waking Kira up in the process. Without registering his own movements, Ben suddenly finds his own saber in his hand, ignited downwards, the red beams crackling next to him. The trooper’s face is illuminated in the red light, his eyes reflecting the red beams of light clearly.

"Dad," Kira blurts out and sits up wearing only her leggings and her camisole, her hair tousled around her head.

"Did you touch my daughter?" Ben bellows at Temiri who is reaching for his own shirt, keeping one eye on Ben and trying to stay as calm as possible, but it’s obvious from his shaking hand how nervous he is.

"Dad nothing happened!" Kira yells and stands up, placing herself between the door and the bed.

"Grab your jacket and come with us," Rey snaps at her, not wanting to entertain her attempt at justification.

"No because you're going to kill him," she argues.

"Kira listen to your mother," Ben warns, his shoulders tense and hand clenched around the saber hilt.

"No," Kira says simply and crosses her arms in front of her, taking a stance and creating the illusion of a barrier between her father and Temiri.

"Kira," Temiri says quietly behind her in a hushed tone. "Just go."

"What?" She whispers in shock and turns to look at him standing now as well with his head tipped towards the ground. "I can't."

"It'll be okay."

"You don't know that," she argues back softly, tears forming in her eyes and her hands reaching for his.

"Yes I do," he lies and pushes her hands back away from him in the presence of her angry parents.

"Kira," Rey snaps again and the teenager looks at her mom over her shoulder.

"I'll see you on the other side," he whispers and pushes her forward with one hand and places her jacket in her hands with the other.

"Come on," Ben mumbles and grabs her arms, pulling her out of reach of Temiri and out of the small room. "Take him to the interrogation rooms, make sure he's heavily guarded and secured."

"Yes sir," Gabels respond and Ben turns, holding Kira tightly and nearly dragging her behind him. 

"NOOO," Kira screams through sobs at the sound of cuffs being secured and pulls against Ben’s grip, her thrashing movements causing him to tighten his hands on her small arms, but her efforts are fruitless. "Let him go!"

"Stop it," Ben growls as the elevator doors whir open and he pushes her gently towards the back of the elevator where she turns and lunges back towards the opening, just to be stopped by Rey using the force as both her parents place themselves in front of the door with their arms crossed in front of them.

Kira looks past them and down the hallway where Temiri is being escorted in the opposite direction by Gabels and another trooper, tears streaming down her cheeks and staining her soft skin. Ben looks into his daughter’s eyes, knowing the emotions she's feeling right now, a small glimmer of guilt seeping in and intertwining with the anger he is simultaneously feeling. "This is for your good," he mumbles and waves his hand in front of her face, scooping her up into his arms and exiting the elevator behind Rey back towards the quarters.


	31. The Other Side

Zyan sits next to his sister on her bed again, the small game back in his hands, his fingers flying across the keys in methodical and well-practiced patterns, determined to finally beat this blasted game. Kira has been out for a few hours, but their parents tasked him with the job of guarding her, making sure she's okay when she wakes and doesn't try to make a run for it again.

It wasn't exactly surprising to him when they returned with her asleep because he knows her temper surely caused her to act out and their parents to contain her in that fashion as a result. Her limbs twitch occasionally, a sign that she's coming out of it, but Zyan just does as he's told and leaves her alone. Their father had explained that he could easily bring her out, but it was less jarring and more natural to just let her wake up on her own, especially considering it was the middle of the night anyway so sleep would be good for her.

The door cracks open to her room with a hesitant push, but no one steps in, and Zyan sets his game on his lap, switching the volume control all the way off. He watches the door curiously, reaching out through the force to identify who it is since apparently, they don't wish to reveal themself.

Zyan looks back down at his game to move it to the bedside table, a smile curling on his lips from recognition of the visitor. "I'm impressed," he says simply, trying to coax the visitor out from behind the door. "I thought it would take you a bit longer to get up here."

The other person still doesn't move and Zyan laughs a little. "Stop playing games, I know who you are," he adds. After a little more hesitation, the door opens further, followed immediately by the man Zyan remembers seeing at the gala with Kira. "Temiri, isn’t it?"

"Yes sir," he responds simply with a polite nod and clasps his hands behind his back.

"No need for formalities. I know why you're here."

"You do?"

"You're here to take my sister," Zyan says almost as a question but not looking for much of a response. Temiri drops his eyes, probably assuming his plan is ruined and he will surely be taken back to the interrogation room to await execution. "And I'm going to help you" Zyan adds and Temiri looks up at him in shock.

"You're going to help?"

"You make her happy and she's my sister, of course I'm going to help. Not to mention the fact that you're a dead man if you don't get out of here. But," he pauses to think and looks up at the ceiling. "I want you to tell me how you got up here so easily and quickly."

Temiri doesn't say anything, just nods with a small laugh and smug grin before lifting his hand and pulling Zyan's game to him with the force.

"No shit," Zyan whispers with a knowing nod, acknowledging that this all makes sense. "You're the one they're looking for."

"Good enough answer for you?" Temiri asks impatiently, studying the simple game in his hands.

"Yeah, that'll work," Zyan agrees and turns to Kira, waving his hand over her and waking her up slowly, knowing she'll be discombobulated and confused. Her eyes flutter open, pinch shut tight at the light, then open back up to look up at him.

"Zy what-" she begins but is stopped as she recognizes Temiri’s presence as well and lifts her head to look at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Kira we need to go," Temiri says quickly, not wasting any more time.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on," he motions for her to sit up and take his hand. "We're leaving like we talked about."

"I'll help you by shutting off the alarms and sensors," Zyan adds and hops off the bed. "But you two need to move."

"Should I pack?" Kira asks.

"No time," Zyan whispers. "Anyways, clothes like that will clearly give you away."

"Okay," she says hesitantly and looks around the room, twisting her hands in front of her, worry lines forming on her forehead. Rebelling against her parents has always been a common thing for her, but the idea of running away and leaving everything behind is intimidating and scary. “Wait, how do I know I can trust you?” She asks her brother who is enthusiastically trying to get her to follow out of the bedroom.

“I’m your brother, you can trust me.”

“Yeah?” She argues with her eyebrows raised. “Then how did Mom and Dad know where to find me?”

“Lucky guess?” He says with a shrug and an unconvincing tone.

“Damn it Zy!” Kira yells and clamps her hand over her mouth. “I told you not to tell,” she adds this time in a strained whisper.

“You started it.”

“How did I start it?”

“As fun as this is,” Temiri interjects with his hands up and steps between the twins. “We need to go before you two wake up Ren because then I’ll surely be dead meat.”

“Our mom is actually the one you should be scared of,” Kira corrects him.

“Kira, it doesn’t matter,” Zyan snaps at her.

“Whatever Zy,” she huffs at him and rolls her eyes.

“Do you have something that’s not black?” Temiri asks, sizing up her dark bedroom with dark clothes strewn everywhere.

“What do you think?” Zyan says with a little too much of a tone and Kira turns back to him.

“Zy you’re not helping.”

“Actually I’m trying to help, if you would just cooperate,” he bites back. Kira goes to try to argue with him again but Zyan is able to interrupt and cut her off. “Just grab the jacket and let’s go!”

“Fine,” she whispers and digs into a drawer, pulling out the only piece of light clothing left in her wardrobe. “Ready?” She asks the two of them and motions for Zyan to lead.

“Let’s go,” Zyan whispers and motions for them to follow behind him down the dark hallway, through the empty living room, and down the stairs. The faint sound of their father snoring making it clear that they won't hear the door open and close.

“Wait,” Kira gasps as they are nearing the stairs to the main entrance and runs back to some of the storage compartments along the side of the room.

“Kira, stop wasting time,” Zyan hisses at her.

“Got it!” Kira says victoriously and drops something into her pants pocket. “Don’t get your panties in a bundle, you’re such a worrywart.”

“No one asked you,” Zyan mutters at her and motions for her to lead the trio out of the quarters.

The hallway is empty, which is a strange sight considering the constant presence of Storm Troopers constantly waiting to escort them to their desired locations.

“Where are the troopers?” Zyan asks, looking both ways down the hallway.

“I sent them to their bunks,” Temiri says simply to which Zyan raises an eyebrow and Kira laughs. “You’re telling me you’ve never thought to use mind tricks on them?”

“I have,” Kira laughs and looks at Zyan.

“I mean, I will now,” he mutters, embarrassed he hadn’t thought of that first. “Anyways, follow me.”

Knowing the large main hangar isn't entirely operational yet and that they'll run the risk of being caught and possibly stopped, Zyan leads them down to a lower level to a smaller hangar that is hopefully manned by fewer troopers that they'll have to deal with.

"Grab a ship, I'll clear you for departure," Zyan says between heavy breaths from running, looking back and forth between his sister and this stranger he is blindly sending her away with. "Don't stop until you're positive you're safe okay?"

"Okay," Kira agrees, only a pace from him, her forehead scrunched into worry lines. Zyan nods at her and turns to head up to the control room in the other direction. "Zy," Kira blurts out and grabs his hand, stopping him from leaving quite yet and turning him back to her. "Thank you."

"It's no big deal," he brushes off, looking down at his hand clasped within her two smaller hands. 

Zyan tenses as she pulls him into a hug, wrapping her thin arms around his neck and burying her face in his neck. "I love you Zy," she whispers and he hesitantly wraps his arms around her waist.

This level of affection between the two of them is unfamiliar. Usually, just a simple bump of the arms or sitting near suffices, but very rarely are hugs a customary part of their sibling relationship anymore. "I love you too," Zyan whispers back, allowing his arms to tighten around her and he buries his face in her hair in the crook of her neck. With a sigh, he releases her, keeping his eyes downcast in an attempt to avoid an emotional exchange.

"Come with us," she whispers and he looks up at her, completely forgetting that there's even a third person present.

"I can't," he says quickly with no explanation. "You won't make it without me in the control room."

"Then join us later?" Tears are forming in the bottom of her eyes and he has to actively pull his eyes away from hers to fight off the moisture forming in his own eyes even though he knows the slight quiver of his chin is most likely giving him away. "I've never been away from you, I don't know how to do life without you."

"You'll figure it out. You’re always the one with the solutions" Zyan assures her and squeezes her one hand, his now free hand wiping a tear off her bottom eyelashes. "Now go."

"Bye," she whispers with one more hug before pulling away and running the other direction without looking back. Zyan watches her go before turning on his heels and making his way up to the control room while trying to still choke back tears.

"Gentlemen," Zyan nods at the two troopers standing in the control room, one of them holding a blaster and the other tinkering with something on the panels.

"What are you doing here?" The one with the blaster asks and Zyan rolls his eyes as they both stand up quickly in defense.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he mutters before waving his hand slowly in front of them. "You'll return to your bunks and forget that I was here."

"I'll return to my bunk and forget you were here," they both respond and stiffen, quickly exiting the room and leaving Zyan alone to revel in his small victory after never having tried that on anyone besides his sister and the cafeteria ladies when he wanted more food.

There are hundreds of buttons and screens on the panels and Zyan scans quickly for the one he'll need, knowing time is valuable right now, and the longer it takes for him to figure it out, the more likely they’ll be caught.

Finding the correct ship, Zyan releases it and turns off all alarms that will announce the departure of an unsanctioned ship. Resting his hands on the panel in front of him, he leans forward watching as Temiri lifts the ship off the ground, Kira resting in a small seat next to him, her eyes locked on Zyan's through the two layers of windows between them. He takes in his sister one more time, knowing he may never see her again, and while she has been a royal pain in his ass, she’s still his sister and the only person he’s ever called his friend.

With ease, the ship gains momentum and they're out of the hangar before he knows it, and with a blink, they thrust the ship into hyperspeed and they’re gone.

Zyan blinks back the moisture forming in his eyes, looking at the space that was just occupied moments ago by the ship taking his sister away from him, a single tear slipping down his cheek. With a deep breath he stands back up, looking at the red button and fighting the urge to press it, knowing that when he does, Kira's departure will no longer go undetected, but it will also begin the next part of his master plan.

Not allowing himself to think through it further, he slams his palm down onto it, a sharp alarm and red light turning on immediately. With a quick pivot, he exits the control room, rushing down the hallway as fast as he possibly can, knowing he needs to get to his parents before anyone else does for this to go as planned.


	32. Remember

"Ben, where are the kids?" Rey asks as she walks back into the room, a full glass of water in her hand.

Ben lifts his head from his pillow, his face mostly shaded in by the dark red light, his face clearly contorted in confusion. "What?"

"The kids, they're both gone," Rey restates with more emphasis.

"Probably out for a walk," Ben says with a yawn and lays his head back down.

"Kira is grounded and Zyan knows it, they shouldn't be out walking. Not to mention what it is, it's a little late for a walk if you ask me."

"I'm sure everything is fine," Ben assures, still practically asleep in the early morning hours.

"I'm going to find them," Rey announces as she slips her nightgown off and starts to collect clothes to pull on over top.

"Orrr..." Ben whispers as he gets up quickly from the bed only wearing his boxer briefs. "You could come back to bed like that," he says with a sly grin and wraps his arms around her stomach from behind while peppering kisses on her shoulder.

"Ben our kids are missing," Rey whispers and leans back into him, her eyes fluttering shut at the feeling of his lips sucking lightly up the sensitive skin of her neck.

"They're practically adults," he retorts with a soft nip on her shoulder. "Plus, we could probably blow off some steam after the events of tonight."

"These are all good points but-"

"Nooo, no but," Ben says in a fake whiny voice and wraps his arms even tighter around Rey's midsection.

"Mom! Dad!" Zyan's voice breaks through the quiet of the quarters and Rey perks up at the sound of his voice, the feeling of concern returning at the sound of his urgent tone.

"Moment ruined," Ben sighs and releases Rey, both of them reaching for clothes quickly before their teenage son busts through the door.

"Mom!" Zyan says and knocks on the door harder than is necessary. "Dad!"

"What?" Ben snaps clearly annoyed and rips the door open as Rey finishes slipping her jacket on. "What happened to your face?"

Rey turns quickly and watches Ben step out to the hallway, her fingers shaking as she tries to fasten the buttons, her nerves making it harder than necessary to loop the small plastic circles through the small slits.

"She's gone," Zyan sobs slightly and Rey reaches for the wall to balance herself as he knees go momentarily weak. Her entire world feels like it is crashing down around her and she can barely breathe as she processes those words. Time seems to move in slow motion as she steps towards the door to join the two of them, feeling like she's in a dream where she's trying to get somewhere but can never reach the desired destination.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Rey asks quietly and with concern as she finally reaches the door and steps out into the hallway. She looks up at Zyan, observing the cut on his face that reaches across his right eyebrow and down his cheek, just narrowing missing his eye. "Honey, what happened?"

"The trooper, he took her and they escaped," Zyan explains, his movements erratic and his tone breaking from emotions. Tears stream down his face and Rey watches the trail of salty water mix with hit cut, marveling at how much that must hurt. "I tried to stop them mom, but he attacked me."

"Where did they go?" Ben asks and steps into the bathroom to dig for first aide supplies, his own tone clipped and strained, his walls up to keep his emotions hidden.

"I don't know," Zyan whines a little as Rey leads him into the large bathroom and instructs him to sit on the edge of the tub while she sets down a towel. "They took a fighter from bay 4 on the lower level."

"Makes sense," Ben mumbles, his fingers now shaking with anger as he unwraps the ointment jars. "What doesn't make sense though is how he got out of the interrogation room."

"Ben come on, keep up," Rey scolds, her tone dripping with annoyance as she begins cleaning Zyan's cut and applying ointment to it.

"What?"

"The trooper, he's one of the Canto Bight children," Rey explains while continuing to clean Zyan's face, his expression contorted from the pain. "He's a force user, has been this entire time." 

"And you never did anything about it?" Ben raises his voice.

"We would have lost her if I got rid of him!"

"We lost her anyway Rey! She's gone!"

Zyan fights the victorious smirk on his face as he looks back and forth between his parents, feeding off the anger that is rising between them quickly. So far his plan is working, too easily he might add, but he also knows that's it's about to get worse from him hitting the alarm in the control room.

The buzzer announcing visitors rings through the living quarters and all three of them look at each other, Ben and Rey confused, and Zyan falling back into the innocent act. "Oh, here we go," Ben mutters and walks to the living room, grabbing his overcoat on the way and securing it around him as he walks, his wife and son on his heels.

"Parnadee," Ben says professionally as he reaches the bottom of the stairs in the large utility foyer.

"We regret to inform you that there has been an unsanctioned departure from Bay 4," the General begins without returning the forced cordial greeting. "The perpetrators are FR-7781 and your daughter."

"What's being done about it?" Rey asks coolly and finds her place next to Ben, clasping her shaking hands behind her.

"We have ships out searching for them, but they went into light-speed too fast and by the time the alarm was set off, they were gone."

"What troopers were on post in Bay 4 this evening?" Zyan asks and steps up next to his mother with his shoulders back.

"We have them in questioning rooms if you would like to speak with them," Parnadee explains. "I must warn you, they remember nothing."

"We'll see about that," Zyan mumbles and cracks his knuckles as he steps towards the stairs leading the door out to the hallway.

"Kylo, Go with him," Rey says directly to Ben, using his former name in the presence of other official personnel. "I'll go to the bridge to assist the search efforts," she trails off, noticing the drawer that is left open below one of the tables.

Curiously she steps over to it, tugging the jammed drawer open, revealing the empty space where the ring from Canto Bight previously resided. "Do we know the location of the new resistance base?" Rey asks as she stands back up and walks with General Parandee up the stairs and out to the hallway, two troopers, and an officer behind them.

"We have had many leads over the months, but none have led us to them yet," the female general responds.

"Well find them," Rey orders. "That's where she's headed," she adds with complete certainty and gulps back the lump that has been forming in her throat since Zyan told them the news.

—

"Good morning gentlemen," Zyan greats as Ben and he walk into the interrogation room where the two troopers are wearing only their plain shirts and pants.

Neither of the men responds, just look between Zyan and Ben, realizing they're in deep trouble if they have both Kylo Ren and his son here.

"So," Ben begins and leans forward on the back of a chair between them. "Who wants to tell me what happened?"

Both of them stare at him, the smaller of the two shaking in fear, his huge eyes pleading Ben to let them go.

"We can do this the hard way if you'd rather," Ben adds and pushes off from the chair, taking a few steps to stand even with Zyan, both of them towering over the restrained and seated troopers. "Your choice."

"It looks like they want to do this the hard way," Zyan acknowledges with a sly smile and looks up at his dad while unclicking his saber and stepping forward.

"Wait!" The smaller one blurts out. "I promise you, I'm not lying when I say I don't remember anything."

"How is that even possible?" Zyan says in a bored tone and spins his disengaged saber hilt in his hand aimlessly like a baton.

"I- I," the man stutters. "I don't know." I was at work then next thing I know I was being woken up in bed by Gabels."

"So you don't remember leaving work, traveling clear across the destroyer, and going to bed?" Ben clarifies and glances at Zyan who is staring at the man still.

"Yes sir," the man says timidly and looks down out of fear of Kylo Ren.

"What about you?" Ben asks and turns to the other man who up to this point has remained silent.

"The same situation sir," he says quietly. "I remember nothing."

"I see," Ben acknowledges and steps back. "Looks like we're doing this the hard way," he adds and looks at Zyan. "Would you like to do the honors?"

"I'd be delighted," Zyan chuckles, catching Ben's eye, the two of them exchanging two different looks with each other. Zyan's expression is mischievous, yet knowing, while Bens in wary and cautious as he tries to read exactly what is going on with Zyan.

"Last chance gentlemen," Zyan laughs, standing in front of them, looking down at their faces that are pale and washed of all color. Neither of the men says anything, just stares at Zyan in fearful anticipation and he laughs a little with a shrug. "Have it your way."

Ben watches from the side of the room as Zyan pushes into their minds, drawing agonizing cries from them involuntarily in response to the immense pressure being put on their brains. Even from this distance, Ben knows what Zyan is seeing in their mind due to his connection to the force being far stronger than the teenage boy's.

He combs through their mind for what seems like hours, far longer than Ben finds necessary, and finally Ben stops Zyan with a clearing of his throat, drawing the attention back to him. "That's enough," Ben adds once Zyan's eyes have met his and he has released his grip on the men, both of them falling slack in their chairs from overexertion and trying to catch their breath.

"And what were you able to determine?" Ben asks Zyan as he pushes off the wall and shoves his hands in his pocket.

"It's a cover-up," Zyan says simply and looks at the men who are now looking between Ben and Zyan in panic. "Obviously they were the ones working and they let the traitors go."

"That's not what-" the one interrupts but is stopped by Zyan turning and gripping his throat through the force without hesitation.

"I'm sorry? What was that?" Zyan hisses at him, his head cocked to the side in fake curiosity. The man grasps at his throat and gasps for air, his breaths shallow and audible. "Anyways, their infractions are clearly grounds for execution."

"And what grounds are those?" Ben asks, his eyebrow quirked quizzically knowing that Zyan didn't find anything that would disprove their innocence.

"Assisting traitors obviously," he responds simply, challenging Ben cautiously and releasing the one.

"Is that so?" Ben murmurs and looks at the two scared men. "I'll look into it further," he adds and turns to the door to call Gabel's back into the room. "Allow them to return to their bunks until we can make a more substantial-conclusion when our emotions aren't running so high."

"Dad," Zyan attempts to argue.

"Not now," Ben cuts him off and shoots a look of warning at him. "Return to our quarters and wait for your mother and me there. You better be there when I return, no more disappearing stunts will be tolerated."

"Yes sir," Zyan mumbles and drops his head slightly before walking down the hallway alone with his hands in his pockets.

Ben watches his son walk away silently, warning bells that something isn't right sounding in his head. Zyan is hiding something, fabricating false realities, and nearly executing innocent men in an attempt to keep that truth hidden. There are too many lines being crossed and blurred and it needs to be addressed, but first, he knows he needs to talk to Rey.


	33. Gone

In the bridge, there’s a bustle of activity and Rey stands alone in front of the window looking out across the front of the destroyer at the expansive black in front of her. She hasn’t cried yet, more like she won’t allow herself to cry, but inside she feels completely torn apart, broken, and empty. 

The tension within the family has been boiling up for quite some time, and Rey has been doing everything she can to quietly counteract it before anything bad can happen which makes it even harder for her to accept that she essentially failed in one of the worst ways possible. 

Sure she could approach it with the mindset of at least both of her children are still alive, but if there’s a chance she’ll never see Kira again, what is even the difference. A mother’s intuition assures her that Kira is alive, but she fears the possibility that she could feel Kira fade at any moment as she moves into uncharted and hostile territory. 

A hush falls over the room in a synchronized fashion, starting near the entrance and moving out to the outer edge of the room until the only sound is that of boots and a consistent beeping from one of the panels. 

Rey turns to look at him, her legs shaking under here but she keeps herself composed even though the sight of his worry lines nearly destroys her and brings her to her knees. 

“How are you?” Ben asks as he joins her at the head of the bridge and they both turn back towards the window with their shoulders lined up and hands clasped behind their own backs. 

“Search efforts have been amplified but they haven’t turned up with anything. We’re assuming she is running to the resistance, but we have no-“ 

“I asked how you are,” Ben interrupts and Rey looks up at him, tears nearly bursting through in response. 

“Maybe this is a conversation better entertained in private,” Rey mumbles and turns. “Parnadee, I will return later and I expect a full report from you then about our hopeful advance acquiring intel.”

“Yes ma’am,” the general agrees simply and waits for Ben and Rey to leave before taking the spot at the head of the bridge. 

Ben leads Rey slowly out of the bridge, neither of them rushing for any particular reason, but also trying to keep their composure put together. Up until now, the bereaving parents have kept their front up, not letting anyone in enough to see the intimate side of how they’re really handling it. 

To the First Order, Kira is a traitor who upon her potential, yet unlikely return could be charged with assisting a criminal. No amount of familial ties will clear her name completely in the eyes of the Generals, only slightly lessen the amount of retaliation she may encounter. 

The door to the private conference room below the bridge wirs shut and immediately Ben spins Rey by her shoulders and pulls her to him, encasing her in his arms and caressing the back of her head which rests on his chest. 

Neither of them says anything, but by the shaking of both of their bodies and the jaggedness of their breath, it’s clear they’ve both released the floodgates. There’s an empty hole left in their hearts right now from Kira’s unannounced departure, both of them just wishing they could have held her one more time, told her they love her, and not have their last memory together be of them forcing her against her will away from the trooper. 

They can’t entirely understand the relationship between Kira and Temiri, having been either oblivious like Ben or just working to put an end to it like Rey. The relationship is clearly taboo, the daughter of the rulers of the galaxy and a lowly stormtrooper not making a normal socially acceptable pair. What Rey is well aware of though is that her own relationship with Ben was extremely taboo, considering his position of power at the time and her rise from being a lowly orphan on Jakku to a resistance rebel nearly overnight. The stars didn’t seem like they were aligned for them when they clearly were in the end, and maybe that’s the exact same situation for Kira and Temiri. Maybe their biggest parenting fail was believing that they could stop something just because it didn’t seem correct. 

“We’ll find her,” Ben whispers into her neck without releasing her at all or lifting his head from the crook of her neck. 

“I don’t doubt that, but I fear we may have still lost her Ben. She’s gone for good,” Rey says with a harsh sniffle and leans back from him. 

Ben looks down at her, his hand cupping her cheek and his thumb running a path across her wet cheekbone. “No one is ever really gone,” he whispers and her eyes flick up to his, a hint of untraceable familiarity in those words. 

“Maybe,” Rey whispers and drops her eyes, looking at the wet patches she has left on his jacket in the form of wet shiny splotches on the thick fabric. With a sigh, she walks away and plops down on one of the heavy chairs around the table, sitting back and crossing her legs, her fingers starting a cadence on the tabletop as she drums them rhythmically.

“Rey I need to talk to you about something,” Ben breaks the silence and pulls a chair out next to her, sitting down and leaning forward towards her. He looks down at her boots as he formulates the words, and Rey waits in anticipation, waiting for him to worsen this already hellish situation. 

“Go on,” she prompts at the prolonged silence and he looks up at her with his porge like eyes. 

“It’s Zyan,” Ben blurts out and looks down, twisting his hands together. “I’m worried about him.”

“Well he just lost his twin, he has a right to not be okay,” Rey points out. 

“No Rey, you don’t understand,” Ben sighs and sits back. “I think it’s all an act. I think he helped her escape.”

“That’s quite the accusation,” Rey observes and crosses her arms, an air of defensiveness sweeping between them. 

“Don’t do that Rey,” Ben warns. “Don’t protect him like you always do.”

“I don’t.”

“You do, but I’m not arguing about it, okay?” He says curtly, making it clear that they’re moving on from that. “He’s clearly hiding something and it became clear when I let him try to get information out of the troopers. I looked in on the information he was viewing, they truly remember nothing. Like their memory was wiped, like someone manipulated them with the force.”

“Which could have been Kira and Temiri though,” Rey points out. 

“That is true, but,” he pauses and shifts how he’s sitting while thinking of how best to word this. “When I asked him what was determined, what he was able to gather from entering their minds, he lied to me. He told me without hesitation that they assisted Kira and the trooper, that they were lying by saying they remember nothing. On top of it all, he called for their execution. Rey,” he sits forward and grabs her hands. “He called for the execution of innocent men knowingly. You don’t do that with a clean conscience and you absolutely don’t do that unless you have an ulterior motive.”

“Ben I don’t know, that doesn’t sound like Zyan,” Rey argues halfheartedly, her brows pinched together and forming a defined line. 

“You know who else it didn’t sound like?” Ben asks and waits for Rey to shake her head slowly. “It didn’t sound like the young version of me either. The way you see Zyan, is the way my mother wanted to see me, sweet and innocent, a rule follower until she got a glimpse of the other side of me. The glimpse that I saw in Zyan today.”

“If he helped them escape, then how does that explain the cut on his face?” 

“You mean that perfectly clean cut that was clearly not made by someone else. It’s too meticulously executed, too perfect, too much exactly like mine, just conveniently on the other side to make it different enough. And I can assure you, that is not what my cut looked like after your handiwork."

“You can’t be serious,” Rey laughs in disbelief and rolls her eyes. “What person would do that?”

“Trust me, Rey, the more Kylo there is in him, the less surprising it is.”

“We’re going to lose them both,” Rey whispers, another tear slipping from her eye. 

Ben scoots his chair closer to hers, taking her hands in his and trapping her knees between her legs. “Look at me,” he whispers and Rey looks up, her eyelashes matted together with tears. “He’s not gone, and if there’s one thing that can save him unlike me, it’s us. I didn’t have parental support to bring me back to the light.”

“The light?” Rey asks, her eyes darting open in shock. 

“Yes?” Ben questions and knits his brows together in confusion. 

“Why?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Where do your loyalties lie Ben?” Rey questions and pushes back away from him. 

“Rey don’t do this, you know where my loyalties lie.”

“Do I?” Rey questions but Ben doesn’t respond, they both stare at each other in challenge, Rey’s eyes squinting and then releasing as she purses her lips in thought. “I should get back,” Rey sighs and stands up, looking at Ben to follow but he doesn’t move, just stays seated, with his elbows on his knees. “See you tonight.”

“Yep,” Ben agrees, still not lifting his head, and listens to Rey spin on her heels and exit the conference room.


	34. Disappearing Act

Rey sits in the large tub by herself, the warm water just barely reaching her shoulders, her knees pulled up to her chest by her arms that wrapped around them while Ben stands at the sink, getting ready for bed, occasionally glancing at her through the reflection in the mirror.

The feeling between them is icy, just as it has been on and off for weeks. At times they’re able to put their disagreement aside and act normal, but Ben has noticed that the deeper and deeper Rey falls into her depression in Kira’s absence, the further away from him she seems to slip. 

Rey hasn’t been the only one spiraling as Zyan has been becoming more and more erratic and hard to reason with. While his actions are noticeable, Rey refuses to acknowledge them and justifies anything that Ben ever points out to her by just blaming it on his feeling of betrayal due to his sister’s departure. 

Placing his hands on the vanity top, Ben leans forward and looks at himself in more detail in the reflection. The lines on his face have deepened, joining the greying hairs on his face in his aging state. Rey is lucky, having the children at such a young age has left her looking as if she is hardly old enough to have two kids that are quickly approaching adulthood. 

“What’s your problem?” Rey mumbles without looking up, just continuing to stare straight ahead at the bubbles on the surface of the water with her chin resting on her knees. 

“Excuse me?” Ben asks with an exasperated sigh and turns to look at her with his arms finding a comfortable position crossed in front of his body. 

“You keep sighing annoying loud.”

“I’m just thinking Rey.”

“You’re always just thinking.”

“You know why?” Ben asks bluntly and sits down on the side of the tub in front of her where she can easily see him if she lifts her head. Rey shakes her head but doesn’t look up at him, just keeps her eyes downcast. “Because I miss you,” Ben explains and gets her to finally look up at him, her eyes large, yet guarded. 

“I’m right here.”

“Physically,” he explains. “Mentally, I have no idea where you are. I don’t know where my Rey is.”

“I don’t understand, I’m right here.”

“You’re not getting it,” Ben sighs and boosts himself off the tub to go back to the vanity and continue getting ready. Looking back at Rey, he notices that she hasn’t moved, just sits in her still curled up position, starring at the water again. 

Ben steps back over by the tub, this time so he is behind her and only slightly visible in her peripheral vision, and begins to undress. Picking up on his movement, Rey turns and looks at him over her shoulder, noticing that he is already partially undressed. “What are you doing?”

“Taking a bath with my wife,” Ben explains cooly and pulls his pants off.

“Why?”

“Because I want to feel close to her,” Ben nearly whispers and gets into the water behind her, sneaking his legs in to rest on either side of her. “And as I said, I miss her,” he adds and gently pulls her backward with his hands on her stomach until her back rests against him. 

Rey’s body is tense, unsure of how to properly react, but Ben doesn’t let her go, just keeps her softly trapped in his embrace and buries his face in the crook of her neck. “Rey, I love you, stop pushing me away.”

“I’m not trying to,” Rey whispers back and allows her body to melt into his arms slowly, letting her guard down more than she has in a long time. They sit there in silence, Ben reminiscing on the time when she was so mentally exhausted that she fell asleep on him in the tub, one of the first times she ever let her vulnerable side show fully. Over course that was in a very unhealthy time of their relationship, yet the feeling of her in his arms takes him back to the more simple times.

“I don’t even know who I am without them anymore,” Rey whispers to break the silence and leans his head down to try and look at her face.

“We’ll get them back,” Ben tries to comfort. 

“We’ll see,” she sighs. “I wanted to believe Zyan was fine, that he was still my innocent little rule follower, but you’re right Ben, he’s troubled, he has too much of that Palpatine blood in him.”

“The Skywalker blood isn’t much better,” Ben points out with a soft chuckle and nuzzles back into her neck. 

Rey smiles and tightens her arms around his, allowing her head to fall slack up against him. They sit like that until the water chills and Ben notices that Rey has dozed off, her body weight all resting against him and her breaths deeper again. 

Being careful to not wake her too much, he drains the tub with them still in it, reaching for a towel, and wrapping her in it as soon as the water has all drained. The air is cool and he wraps another towel around his waist before he picks her up and carries her back to their bedroom, noticing that the quarters are still quiet, meaning Zyan is still out in the destroyer somewhere. 

Rey lets a contented sigh out as he places her in the bed, pulling the blanket up and over her shoulders, and slips in behind her, their two bodies quickly warming up the bed, and he dozes off with her in his arms. 

\--

Zyan stands at the head of the bridge, his feet firmly planted at shoulder width, his eyes scanning across the front of the destroyer, his thoughts swirling in his head. The room is quiet, only a few workers present in the late hours of the night, the time that he prefers to be here especially considering his parent’s usual absence which allows him to feel a sense of power he’s unable to feel when they’re around. 

The door opens to the bridge followed by boots and Zyan braces himself assuming it’s either his parents or the annoying General Parnadee who blocks him from being able to do anything. The sound of a cane accompanying the footsteps tips him off to the fact that it isn’t any of the three and he turns to look at the new person whose life force he isn’t familiar with. 

Approaching him is the same man that turned up randomly in their living room back on Argent, the same man who virtually disappeared after their arrival, allowing the family of four to assume that he was no longer on the destroyer. 

“Zyan Ren,” General Pryde greets as he walks up, his face giving away a hint of being impressed. “You’ve grown up quite a bit since I last saw you in person.”

“Thank you, sir,” Zyan says professionally and watches the frail man apprehensively. “Um,” he pauses and thinks for a moment. “What do you mean in person?”

“I’ve been watching you carefully, tracking your progress in harnessing your power, your rage,” Pryde explains but is stopped short by a coughing fit hitting him.

“Is that so?”

“I’m impressed by you. The last person I saw walk these halls with that amount of raw power and anger was your father. While it was aggravating to work with, the First Order just hasn’t been the same with a leader like Kylo Ren.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Zyan asks and crosses his arms in front of himself while watching the man shift on his cane, his hand visibly shaking as he works to keep himself upright. 

“We need a leader like Kylo Ren, but he’s been compromised, he’ll never be the same, not after that girl got to him.”

“You mean my mother?”

“Details,” Pryde waves him off. “But the point is, who better to take over his legacy than his own son, his son who not only is the descendent of Darth Vader but also Darth Sidious otherwise known as Sheev Palpatine. His son who is destined to be far more powerful than Kylo Ren ever was.”

“You think?” Zyan asks, his eyebrows quirking up in anticipatory interest, the flattering words going straight to his quickly inflating ego. 

“Without a doubt,” Pryde chuckles and walks close. “In fact, I have a situation for you to deal with. We have reports of traitors within our medical staff, their coworkers turned them in earlier this evening for creating plans to escape.”

“Who is it?” Zyan asks, straightening his shoulders out and adjusting his posture. 

“Bring them in,” Pryde orders to the officer that stands just inside the door. The young officer turns on her heels and opens the hydraulic door, allowing three troopers escorting three females wearing nurse’s uniforms to enter the bridge. The three women look scared, their hands held in front of them by heavy shackles, tears streaming down their cheeks. 

“Vale,” Zyan whispers, his eyes locking on the blonde woman in the back who scans the room in fear. Their nanny they grew up with had been taken before they even returned to their home on Argent during the raid, but they had never seen her on the destroyer, just assumed she had been reassigned elsewhere instead of keeping her so close. 

“In the absence of the Supreme Leaders, we are looking to you for leadership,” Pryde explains. “Their fate is up to you.”

Zyan looks between the faces of the nurses, his eyes lingering on Vale’s longer than the others, looking for any sign that she remembers him and hasn’t been subjected to reconditioning he is positive she underwent. A pit forms in his stomach, on one hand, he knows this is a test, knows what Pryde is prompting him to do, but on the other hand, his familial connection he feels to a woman who helped raise him is stopping him in his tracks.

“What is the normal procedure for this?” Zyan asks Pryde as he fishes for an acceptable answer. 

“On a first offense, there’s a whole slew of punishments that are deemed appropriate, but in this case when it’s your second, or third, even your fourth attempt like blondie in the back, execution is the most common punishment. In fact, she has been a problem for years but was unfortunately always protected by simple and weak men who let their emotions control them. I know you won’t make that same mistake though.”

Zyan lets his words marinate for a moment, wondering who these ‘weak’ men are that Pryde is referring to. Is one potentially his father? He also knows that that this is a challenge, that if he fails this test, he’ll be labeled as weak in Pryde’s eyes, looked down upon, just perpetuating the same feeling he’s felt his whole life while living in Kira’s shadow.

“Do it,” Zyan snaps and turns back to the window, unable to look at Vale’s tear-stained face anymore as he throws every happy memory he has with her away to save his own image. “Execute them.”

“If you say so,” Pryde purrs in a tone that raises the hairs on the back of Zyan’s neck like it did the first time he met the creepy general.

“Absolutely not,” Ben’s voice rings out across the quiet bridge followed by two sets of boots on the metal floor. “Release them immediately.”

“On what grounds?” Pryde argues as Zyan turns around to look at his parents both walking across the path over the lowered control panels. 

“Nice to see you back from the dead,” Rey glares at Pryde, both of them stopping in front of the three nurses. 

“I was not dead,” Pryde corrects. “Merely taking care of my health.”

“Hmpf,” Rey grunts and looks at the three nurses, her eyes lingering on Vale. “Wishful thinking then,” she shrugs and turns back to look at Zyan. “You do not have the clearance to make decisions to that degree.”

“But General Pryde said,” Zyan begins. 

“I don’t give a damn what Pryde said,” Ben interrupts. “Frankly I never have.”

“There’s a surprise,” Pryde grumbles under his breath. 

“Pryde, your dismissed,” Rey says bluntly to him. “Please for our own sake, return to your disappearing act that you kept up so well for over a year. Return the nurses to their quarters and leave them be, we will analyze them later.”

“Yes ma’am,” the head trooper says professionally and motions for the nurses to walk out of the room. 

Once the doors have shut again and the four of them are left in silence, Rey looks back over at Pryde. “What are you still doing here?”

“I have just as much reason to be here as you do,” the elderly general points out. 

“Reason that you didn’t utilize until you found it necessary to come up here and manipulate my son,” Rey raises her voice. 

“He wasn’t manipulating me, mom.”

“That’s enough,” Ben interrupts. “Any, issues of this level will be brought to us, not our teenage son.”

“Dad, I am entirely capable!” Zyan raises his voice at Ben and steps toward him.

“Careful Zyan,” Ben growls at him, pinning his shoulders back to allow him to gain an inch on his son that is nearly matching him in height and stature.

“Try me,” Zyan bites back.

“No more,” Rey interrupts. “Go home Zyan.”

“But-”

“Go home,” she repeats and glares at her son, her icy gaze eventually cracking his demeanor. Zyan tears his eyes from hers and looks at the ground, letting out a low huff as he concedes and shoves his hands in his pocket, taking a moment to look at Pryde who nods at him in encouragement before walking towards the door to the hallway. 

As he is halfway to the door, it slides open, General Parnadee entering with two officers flanking her. Zyan stops and watches as they pass before continuing towards the door, wanting nothing to do with that woman, but is stopped by the conversation that begins. 

“Parnadee, I trust you have an update for us considering the hour at which you woke us up?” Ben asks as they reach the head of the bridge. 

“Indeed,” the female general says enthusiastically yet still professionally. “It’s been confirmed. We found your daughter and FR-7781.”


End file.
